Silvana Konermann
{{Short description|Swiss-American bioengineer and neuroscientist}}
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| name = Silvana Konermann
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| birth_name = Silvana Maria Konermann
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|05|18}}
| birth_place = Baden, Switzerland
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| fields = Bioengineering, Neuroscience
| workplaces = Stanford University, Arc Institute
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- ETH Zurich (BSc)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD)}}
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| thesis_title = Interrogation and control of mammalian transcription
| thesis_url = https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/106436
| thesis_year = 2016
| doctoral_advisor = Feng Zhang
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| known_for = CRISPRa, CRISPR-Cas13, transcriptome engineering
| awards = [https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/basic-sciences-division/weintraub-graduate-student-award.html Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award]
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| website = [https://arcinstitute.org/labs/konermannlab Konermann Lab]
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Silvana Konermann (born May 18, 1988) is a Swiss-American bioengineer and neuroscientist whose research focuses on CRISPR, genome engineering, transcription and epigenetics, and Alzheimer's disease. She is an assistant professor of biochemistry at Stanford University and co-founder and executive director of Arc Institute.
Konermann's research laboratory aims to understand the molecular pathways that drive the development of Alzheimer’s disease using next-generation functional genomics, with the long-term goal of developing rationally targeted therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders.{{Cite web |date=September 20, 2017 |title=Salk scientist Silvana Konermann named HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellow |url=https://www.salk.edu/news-release/salk-scientist-silvana-konermann-named-hhmi-hanna-h-gray-fellow/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=Salk Institute for Biological Studies |language=en}}
Biography
Konermann attended Sächsisches Landesgymnasium Sankt Afra zu Meißen in Saxony, Germany.{{Cite web |date=2006-08-26 |title=Ein ganz normales Mädchen |url=https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/noch-immer-werden-hochbegabte-in-irgendwelche-obskuren-ecken-gestellt-als-zombies-verteufelt-oder-als-wunderwesen-verklaert-nichts-von-alledem-stimmt-ein-ganz-normales-maedchen-li.1181122 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=Berliner Zeitung |language=de}} The minor planet 21546 Konermann was named in honor of her 2006 second-place finish at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.{{cite book|title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names|first=Lutz D.|last=Schmadel|edition=6th|publisher=Springer|year=2012|isbn=9783642297182|contribution=21546 Konermann|page=1020|contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg=PA1020}} She received her Bachelor's degree in neurobiology from ETH Zurich in 2009.{{Cite web |title=LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvanakonermann/ |access-date=2025-04-01 }}
In 2010, Konermann entered the Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she joined Feng Zhang's newly-established lab at the Broad Institute and McGovern Institute for Brain Research. During her PhD, Konermann contributed to the development of pioneering genetic perturbation technologies, including one of the first systems for genome-scale CRISPR activation.{{cite journal | vauthors = Konermann S, Brigham MD, Trevino AE, Joung J, Abudayyeh OO, Barcena C, Hsu PD, Habib N, Gootenberg JS, Nishimasu H, Nureki O, Zhang F | display-authors = 6 | title = Genome-scale transcriptional activation by an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 complex | journal = Nature | volume = 517 | issue = 7536 | pages = 583–8 | date = January 2015 | pmid = 25494202 | pmc = 4420636 | doi = 10.1038/nature14136 }} She completed her PhD in neuroscience in 2016, receiving the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award for "outstanding achievement during graduate studies in the biological sciences."{{Cite web |title=Weintraub Award Winners |url=https://www.fredhutch.org/content/dam/www/research/divisions/basic-sciences/weintraub-award/2025-weintraub-awardees/WGSA_Archive_2000-2020.pdf |access-date=2025-04-01 }}
As a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute, Konermann was part of the team that discovered Cas13d, a new subclass of compact RNA-targeting CRISPR effectors.{{cite journal | vauthors = Konermann S, Lotfy P, Brideau NJ, Oki J, Shokhirev MN, Hsu PD | title = Transcriptome Engineering with RNA-Targeting Type VI-D CRISPR Effectors | journal = Cell | date = April 2018 | pmid = 29551272 | pmc = 5910255 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.033 }} She was named an HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellow in 2017 and a CZ Biohub investigator in 2019. In October 2019, Konermann joined Stanford as an assistant professor of biochemistry.*{{Cite web|url=https://biochemistry.stanford.edu/silvana-konermann|title=Silvana Konermann|website=Stanford Biochemistry}}
- {{Cite web|url=https://arcinstitute.org/about|title=Arc Institute|website=arcinstitute.org}}
- {{cite magazine |last=Thompson |first=Derek |date=20 January 2022 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/scientific-funding-is-broken-can-silicon-valley-fix-it/621295/ |title=Silicon Valley's New Obsession |magazine=The Atlantic}}
- {{Cite web|url=https://www.hhmi.org/news/hhmi-selects-15-hanna-gray-fellows-support-diversity-science|title=HHMI Selects 15 Hanna Gray Fellows to Support Diversity in Science|website=hhmi.org}}
Along with UC Berkeley professor Patrick Hsu and Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, Konermann is a co-founder of nonprofit research organization Arc Institute, where she currently serves as executive director and maintains her research laboratory as a core investigator.{{cite news |title=Backed by tech entrepreneurs, Arc Institute adds to its scientific ranks |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2023/09/arc-institute-uc-berkeley-stanford-ucsf-ai.html |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=www.bizjournals.com |date=21 September 2023}}
Personal Life
In June 2022, Konermann married Irish tech billionaire Patrick Collison, the co-founder and CEO of Stripe.{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Roisin |title=Inside Stripe CEO Patrick Collison's family life as he weds childhood sweetheart |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/inside-stripe-ceo-patrick-collisons-27359496 |access-date=20 November 2022 |publisher=Irish Mirror |date=29 June 2022}} Konermann met Collison at the 2004 EU Young Scientist competition.{{cite news |title=Backed by tech entrepreneurs, Arc Institute adds to its scientific ranks |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2023/09/arc-institute-uc-berkeley-stanford-ucsf-ai.html |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=www.bizjournals.com |date=21 September 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Piper |first1=Kelsey |title=This new charity offers scientists coronavirus grants in 48 hours |url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/4/21/21228156/coronavirus-fast-grants-tyler-cowen-patrick-collison |work=Vox |date=21 April 2020 |language=en}}
References
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External links
- {{Google Scholar id|JtlWgmQAAAAJ}}
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Stanford University School of Medicine faculty
Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni