Georgia M. Dunston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgia Mae Dunston
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Dunston in 2008
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| Born | August 4th 1944 Norfolk, Virginia U.S.
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Human Genetics |
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| Thesis | Immunogenetic studies of the XH system of human serum alpha-globulin (1973) |
| Doctoral advisor | H. Gershowitz |
Georgia Mae Dunston, born on August 4, 1944, is an American scientist. She is a geneticist who studies human genes. Dr. Dunston is a professor at Howard University. She also helped start the National Human Genome Center there.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Georgia Mae Dunston grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. Her parents worked hard in different jobs. Her father, Ulysses, was a cook. Her mother, Rosa, worked as a cleaner and presser. Georgia went to church and Sunday school. She became interested in genetics because she grew up in a segregated town. She was curious about "differences in people."
As high school ended, Georgia wasn't sure about college. No one in her family had gone. But she loved Human biology. She decided to continue her science education. Georgia graduated at the top of her class. She earned a full scholarship to Norfolk State University.
College and Graduate Studies
Dunston earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), in Biology. This was from Norfolk State University. Then, she received a special research fellowship. This helped her get a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Biology. She studied at Tuskegee University.
For her master's work, Dunston studied pigeons. She used methods like Chromatography and Electrophoresis. These helped her find differences in their DNA. Her professor, David Aminoff, was very impressed. He helped her get funding for her PhD.
In 1972, Dunston earned her PhD. This was in human genetics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She discovered important things about human antigens. Antigens are like markers on cells. She also found that these markers changed over time. This happened as different animal species developed.
A Career in Science
After getting her PhD in 1972, Dr. Dunston became a professor. She joined the microbiology department at Howard University. From 1975 to 1976, she also did a special fellowship. This was at the National Cancer Institute. She focused on how the body fights tumors.
During this time, Dr. Dunston also advised many groups. She helped programs for Sickle Cell Anemia. She worked with the U.S. Department of Labor. She also advised councils on cancer and environmental health. Her time as an associate professor at Howard ended in 1978.
Research on Human Genes
In 1982, Dr. Dunston became a scientist at the National Cancer Institute. She was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She studied the special features of human killer cells. These cells are part of our immune system.
Three years later, Dunston got to lead the Human Immunogenetics Laboratory. She became very interested in human genes. She studied how genes related to diseases in African Americans. Understanding these genes could help with organ transplants. It could also show how our immune system works.
From 1988 to 1989, she worked on a grant. This grant helped with organ transplantation. It focused on testing for matching tissues. This was important for Native and African Americans.
Leading the Way
From 1991 to 1994, Dunston was a director at Howard University Cancer Center. She helped write a report on organ donation. This report was for the Black community. In the mid-1990s, she joined a new program. This was at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
She worked with Dr. Francis Collins. He led the Human Genome Project. Together, they published research. Their work was about genetics and type 2 diabetes. They studied this disease in West Africa.
In 2001, Howard University and the NIH worked together. They created the National Human Genome Center (NHGC). Dr. Dunston was the founder and director. She led an amazing team at Howard University. They built research partnerships around the world. Their goal was to study diseases common in African Americans. They also looked at other African populations.
Today, Dr. Dunston is a full professor at Howard University. Her team continues to study human genes. They use the diversity of human populations. This helps them learn more about our genetic information.
Awards and Honors
- Howard University College of Medicine Outstanding Research Award
- NAACP Science Achievement Award
- Howard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member Award (and excellence in teaching)
- E. E. Just Award and Lectureship from the American Society of Cell Biology
- AARP's Impact Award
- A member of the National Advisory Council for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- A member of Sigma Xi
- A member of the National Academy of Sciences Review Committee on Human Genome Diversity Project
