Christine "Christy" Chow is a professor of chemistry (biochemistry division) and former associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University. She works on modified RNAs, RNA-ligand interactions and RNA therapeutics. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Christy Chow | |
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Born | Christine S. Chow |
Alma mater | Bowdoin College (BS) Columbia University (MS) Caltech (PhD) |
Known for | RNA-ligand interactions |
Awards | Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wayne State University |
Thesis | Transition metal complexes as probes for higher-order structure in RNA (1992) |
Doctoral advisor | Jacqueline Barton[1] |
Website | chem |
Chow was born New Jersey.[2] She studied environmental science at Bowdoin College and graduated in 1987.[3] She was a graduate student at Columbia University, earning a master's degree in 1988.[3] Chow earned her doctorate in inorganic chemistry with Jacqueline Barton at the California Institute of Technology in 1992.[1][3]
Chow was a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she worked with Stephen J. Lippard.[3] In 1994 Chow joined Wayne State University.[4][5] Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health since she joined Wayne State University. Chow studies the structural and functional roles of modified nucleosides in RNA.[3] So far, several hundred modifications have been found in RNA and Transfer RNA, but their contributions to structure and function have yet to be fully established.[3] Chow develops the methodologies to incorporate modified nucleosides at specific points in RNA; in particular helix 69 of 23S ribosomal RNA.[3] The pseudouridine modification helps to maintain fidelity during protein synthesis, but its exact role in regulating the function of a ribosome is unknown.[6] They use inorganic complexes (such as platinum(II)) to examine the structure of nucleic acid.[3]
Chow has used fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to study drug-RNA interactions in an effort to inform the design of new antibiotics.[3][7] Improved RNA binding ligands indicate that drugs have potential, and should be developed further.[3] She developed assays to investigate aminoglycoside analogues.[8] She is working on new anti-infectives that combat antimicrobial resistance.[3]
Chow is an advocate for undergraduate research opportunities and diversity in the scientific community. In 2006 one of Chow's students, Uzoma Azuh, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.[9] When he died in 2007, Chow created the Uzoma Azuh Endowed Memorial Research Scholarship, a fellowship for undergraduate students in chemistry and biochemistry, in his honour.[9] She is a faculty mentor for an National Institutes of Health grant, the Wayne State University "Initiative for Maximizing Student Development", which supports students from underrepresented minorities in their scientific careers.[10][11] In 2016, Wayne State University and Chow were awarded a multi-million dollar BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) grant from National Institutes of Health to develop a doctoral training program for graduate students.[12] She is a member of the leadership team of the American Chemical Society Women's Chemistry Committee and the Division of Biological Chemistry.[13][14]
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