Linda Hsieh-Wilson
Encyclopedia
Linda Carol Hsieh-Wilson is an American chemist. She is known for her work in chemical neurobiology
and currently a professor
of chemistry
and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
investigator at the California Institute of Technology
and an adjunct professor of psychiatry
and behavioral sciences
at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
at the University of California, Los Angeles
.
in chemistry at Yale University
. After graduating, she completed her Ph.D.
in 1996 at the University of California, Berkeley
where she worked with Peter G. Schultz on antibody
-based catalysis
. She studied neuronal targeting protein
spinophilin
at the Rockefeller University
with Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard
until 2000. She then obtained an appointment at the Department of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 2000 as an assistant professor and became an associate professor of chemistry and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2005.
and neuroscience
. She investigates how glycans affect the structure and function of proteins in the nervous system
. Her laboratory has developed has developed a chemoenzymatic method to tag proteins that have been appended with a dynamic form of glycosylation
called O-Glcnac. Her work with glycosaminoglycan microarrays has significantly understanding of specific sulfated glycosaminoglycans in neuronal communication, learning, and memory as well as advanced the field of chemical biology. She has demonstrated how fucosylation can modulate neurite growth and neuronal morphology.
lists 51 publications in peer-reviewed
scientific journal
s that have been cited over 1200 times, leading to an h-index
of 21. Her three most cited papers (>90 times) are:
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
and currently a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
investigator at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
and an adjunct professor of psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and behavioral sciences
Behavioural sciences
The term behavioural sciences encompasses all the disciplines that explore the activities of and interactions among organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour through controlled and naturalistic observation, and disciplined...
at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior is a research institute of the University of California Los Angeles . It includes a number of centers, including the "Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics", which uses DNA sequencing, gene expression studies, bioinformatics, and the genetic...
at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Biography
Hsieh-Wilson received her Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in chemistry at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. After graduating, she completed her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1996 at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where she worked with Peter G. Schultz on antibody
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
-based catalysis
Catalysis
Catalysis is the change in rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of a substance called a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the chemical reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself. A catalyst may participate in multiple chemical transformations....
. She studied neuronal targeting protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
spinophilin
PPP1R9B
Neurabin-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PPP1R9B gene.-Interactions:PPP1R9B has been shown to interact with PPP1CB, PPP1CA, Dopamine receptor D2, P16, PPP1CC, T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis-inducing protein 1 and PPP1R2....
at the Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
with Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard
Paul Greengard
Paul Greengard is an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the molecular and cellular function of neurons. In 2000, Greengard, Arvid Carlsson and Eric Kandel were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous...
until 2000. She then obtained an appointment at the Department of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 2000 as an assistant professor and became an associate professor of chemistry and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2005.
Research interests
Hsieh-Wilson's research is at the interface between organic chemistryOrganic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
and neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
. She investigates how glycans affect the structure and function of proteins in the nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
. Her laboratory has developed has developed a chemoenzymatic method to tag proteins that have been appended with a dynamic form of glycosylation
Glycosylation
Glycosylation is the reaction in which a carbohydrate, i.e. a glycosyl donor, is attached to a hydroxyl or other functional group of another molecule . In biology glycosylation refers to the enzymatic process that attaches glycans to proteins, lipids, or other organic molecules...
called O-Glcnac. Her work with glycosaminoglycan microarrays has significantly understanding of specific sulfated glycosaminoglycans in neuronal communication, learning, and memory as well as advanced the field of chemical biology. She has demonstrated how fucosylation can modulate neurite growth and neuronal morphology.
Notable papers
The Web of ScienceWeb of Science
ISI Web of Knowledge is an academic citation indexing and search service, which is combined with web linking and provided by Thomson Reuters. Web of Knowledge coverage encompasses the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. It provides bibliographic content and the tools to access, analyze,...
lists 51 publications in peer-reviewed
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
s that have been cited over 1200 times, leading to an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of 21. Her three most cited papers (>90 times) are:
Awards and honors
- Beckman Young Investigator Award (2000)
- Research Corporation Research Innovation Award (2000)
- Alfred P. SloanAlfred P. SloanAlfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr. was an American business executive in the automotive industry. He was a long-time president, chairman, and CEO of General Motors Corporation...
Fellowship (2003) - Eli LillyEli LillyEli Lilly was the founder of Eli Lilly and Company.Eli Lilly may also refer to:* Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company...
Award in Biological Chemistry (2006) - Arthur C. CopeArthur C. CopeArthur C. Cope was a highly successful and influential organic chemist and member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is credited with the development of several important chemical reactions which bear his name including the Cope elimination and the Cope rearrangement.Cope was born on June...
Scholar Award (2008) - Gill Young Investigator Award in Neuroscience (2009)