Amanda Bryant-Friedrich facts for kids

Amanda Cordelia Bryant-Friedrich is a very important scientist. She is the dean of the graduate school at Wayne State University. She is also a professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences there.

Dr. Bryant-Friedrich has received many awards for her work. In 2014, she won the American Chemical Society Stanley C. Israel Regional Award. This award is given for helping to make science more diverse. She is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society. Her research focuses on special types of nucleic acids and how they can show signs of illness.

Early Life and Education

Amanda Bryant-Friedrich was born in Enfield, North Carolina. She grew up on a farm with her family. She worked on the farm while also going to school in the Halifax County School system.

She was a top student and graduated high school as the Valedictorian. This means she was the best student in her class. She was offered a full scholarship to Duke University. However, her guidance counselor suggested she attend North Carolina Central University instead.

University Studies

Dr. Bryant-Friedrich earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from North Carolina Central University. While there, she worked in a science lab with Professor John Meyers. She became very interested in scientific research. She even spent a summer working as an intern at the Dow Chemical Company. She graduated with honors, which is called magna cum laude.

After her bachelor's degree, she went to Duke University for her graduate studies. She earned a master's degree in chemistry. Then, she started her PhD research with Richard Polniaszek. When he left the university, she had to find a new project.

In 1993, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich moved to Heidelberg University in Germany. She learned German and continued her doctoral research there. She studied organic chemistry with Professor Richard Neidlein. She finished her PhD in 1997. Her research involved making complex chemical compounds.

Research and Career

After getting her PhD, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich worked at the University of Basel in Switzerland. She was a postdoctoral fellow in Bernd Giese's lab. Here, she became interested in using chemistry to understand how living things work.

After two years in Switzerland, she returned to the United States. She briefly worked at Wayne State University. Then, she looked for other opportunities.

Professor and Researcher

In 2000, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich became an assistant professor at Oakland University. In 2003, she received a special award called the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. This award helped her study how chemicals can damage DNA and RNA.

She moved to the University of Toledo in 2007. In 2022, she was chosen to lead a section of the American Chemical Society called the Medical Division of Medicinal Chemistry (ACS MEDI).

Her research looks at how small molecules interact with nucleic acids. She creates special modified nucleosides and nucleotides. These help her study how certain molecules fit into DNA. She also studies how to protect small nuclear RNA (snRNAs) from damage. This type of damage can harm cells and affect how important cell parts, like the spliceosome, work.

Academic Leadership

In 2016, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich became the dean of the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Toledo. A dean is a leader in a university. She also holds other important roles, like being a commissioner for the Lake Erie Commission. She has also been a leader in different parts of the American Chemical Society.

Besides her research and leadership roles, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich works to support women and minority scientists. She helps them succeed in science.

In 2020, Dr. Bryant-Friedrich was named the dean of the graduate school at Wayne State University. She also teaches at Wayne State's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. There, she continues to run her own research lab.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Bryant-Friedrich has received many awards, including:

• 2015 University of Toledo University Women's Commission
• 2018 Elected a Fellow of the American Chemical Society
• 2019 Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Women of Distinction
• 2019 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 2020 YWCA Northwest Ohio Milestone Award for science

Personal Life

Dr. Bryant-Friedrich is married to Klaus Friedrich. They have two children together.