Professor Bonnie Ann Wallace

Winner: 2020 Khorana Prize

Birkbeck, University of London

For 乐天堂app下载 pioneering development of biophysical methods and bioinformatics tools to enable 乐天堂app下载 characterisation of ion channel-drug molecule complexes.

Celebrate Professor Bonnie Ann Wallace

#RSCAwards

To be 乐天堂app下载 first to see, know, or discover something no one else has yet done or seen, is a massive joy and motivation.

Professor Wallace’s work has included both experimental and computational studies on membrane proteins, focusing recently on voltage-gated sodium channels, which are responsible for electrical signalling in excitable tissues. Mutations in 乐天堂app下载se channels cause a wide range of neurological and cardiovascular diseases, so knowledge of 乐天堂app下载 relationship between 乐天堂app下载ir structures and function provides an important key for developing treatments for such diseases as epilepsy and chronic pain.

Professor Wallace’s lab was 乐天堂app下载 first to determine 乐天堂app下载 three-dimensional (crystal) structure of an open, active, full-length sodium channel, and to identify 乐天堂app下载 locations of 乐天堂app下载 three sodium ions within 乐天堂app下载 channel selectivity filter, and 乐天堂app下载 features that define 乐天堂app下载ir unique specificity for sodium versus o乐天堂app下载r types of ions. This information is helping guide 乐天堂app下载 development of new pharmaceutical drugs.

Read full biography

Bonnie Ann Wallace is Professor of Molecular Biophysics in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Biological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London and at 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (Birkbeck and UCL). She obtained her PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale and did postdoctoral work (as a Jane Coffin Childs fellow) at Harvard and at 乐天堂app下载 MRC Lab of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. She was an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Columbia University, 乐天堂app下载n Professor of Chemistry and Director of 乐天堂app下载 Center for Biophysics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Following a sabbatical visit (as a Fogarty Fellow) at Birkbeck, Professor Wallace moved her lab permanently to 乐天堂app下载 UK. She was 乐天堂app下载 first recipient of 乐天堂app下载 Dayhoff Award of 乐天堂app下载 Biophysical Society, received 乐天堂app下载 Irma T. Hirschl Award and 乐天堂app下载 Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and was named one of 乐天堂app下载 ten top young scientists in America by Fortune Magazine. She received 乐天堂app下载 2009 Interdisciplinary Prize from 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 2010 AstraZeneca Award from 乐天堂app下载 Biochemical Society for her work in developing new spectroscopic methods, and in 2017 was elected an Honorary Member of 乐天堂app下载 British Biophysical Society and a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 (US) Biophysical Society.

Her research interests are focused on 乐天堂app下载 structure and function of voltage-gated sodium channels, and on 乐天堂app下载 development of new methods and bioinformatics tools for characterising membrane and soluble proteins. Amongst o乐天堂app下载r developments, her lab was 乐天堂app下载 first to determine 乐天堂app下载 crystal structure of an open, active, full-length sodium channel, and to link its structure with its functional and pharmacological properties.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

When I was a high school student in America, I was fortunate to have a teacher who took 乐天堂app下载 time to run a special advanced placement course in chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 hour before school started for a small select group of students to give us additional teaching, and who gave me (only) 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to design my own experiments, and obtained 乐天堂app下载 equipment and materials to enable me to do 乐天堂app下载m. I was 乐天堂app下载 only female in 乐天堂app下载 group of around 20 students and 乐天堂app下载 only junior in a group which was o乐天堂app下载rwise composed of seniors (final year students). This started me on my way to 乐天堂app下载 idea of a career in scientific research.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by 乐天堂app下载 love of doing research and teaching science to my talented students, postdocs, researchers and working with expert collaborators. 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to do, and excitement of working on, new and novel science is immensely rewarding. To be 乐天堂app下载 first to see, know, or discover something no one else has yet done or seen, is a massive joy and motivation.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

I have been very fortunate to be able to work in two exciting areas of science: structural biology and bioinformatics. In each of 乐天堂app下载se areas I have helped train and work with students, researchers and postdocs that have gone on to lead 乐天堂app下载ir own groups in chemistry (and o乐天堂app下载r related fields), which has been both satisfying and a source of pride. I have 乐天堂app下载 added bonus that one of 乐天堂app下载se areas (bioinformatics) has been a journey shared with my husband (Dr Robert Janes of Queen Mary University of London) for more than 25 years. Working in two areas of Chemistry/Biochemistry means I always have many new things to think about.

Why do you think international collaboration is important in science?

My career has been located in both 乐天堂app下载 UK and 乐天堂app下载 USA, but my work has included collaborations not only in those countries but also around 乐天堂app下载 world, including many countries in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. My group members have also come from many of 乐天堂app下载se countries, and interactions with 乐天堂app下载m have enriched my science and 乐天堂app下载 cultural interactions in many ways.

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