Julie Forman-Kay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julie Forman-Kay
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| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Yale University |
| Known for | Intrinsically disordered proteins |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto) |
Julie Forman-Kay is a brilliant scientist. She works at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. She is also a professor at the University of Toronto. Her research helps us understand special proteins. These proteins are called intrinsically disordered proteins.
Becoming a Scientist
Julie Forman-Kay studied chemistry at a famous school. It was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned her degree in 1985. Later, she went to Yale University for her advanced studies. She learned a lot from other top scientists there. She also worked at the National Institutes of Health.
In 1992, Dr. Forman-Kay started working at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Today, she leads a program there. She is also a Senior Scientist in Molecular Medicine. She helps direct a special lab. This lab studies how molecules are built. She is also a professor at the University of Toronto. She teaches in the Department of Biochemistry.
What She Studies
Dr. Forman-Kay studies proteins. These are tiny building blocks in our bodies. She focuses on intrinsically disordered proteins. Unlike most proteins, these do not have a fixed shape. They are flexible and can change their form.
She uses computers and experiments to learn about them. Her work shows how these flexible proteins interact. They can even separate into different liquid layers. This process is called liquid-liquid phase separation. It is important for how cells work.
Dr. Forman-Kay also created a special computer program. It is called ENSEMBLE. This tool uses information from experiments. These experiments include Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Small-angle X-ray scattering. ENSEMBLE helps predict the many shapes these flexible proteins can take.
Special Awards
Dr. Forman-Kay has received important awards for her work. In 2016, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. This is a great honor for Canadian scientists.
In 2021, she was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists in the United Kingdom.
About Her Life
Dr. Forman-Kay is married to another biochemist. His name is Lewis Kay. They have two children. Outside of her science work, Dr. Forman-Kay enjoys music. She plays the violin and loves classical chamber music.
