Pamela Bjorkman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pamela J. Björkman
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Pamela Jane Bjorkman
1956 |
| Alma mater | University of Oregon (B.A., 1978) Harvard University (Ph.D, 1984) |
| Spouse(s) | Kai Zinn |
| Children | 2 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry Biological Engineering Microbiology Immunology |
| Institutions | California Institute of Technology UCLA Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
| Academic advisors | Don Wiley |
Pamela Jane Bjorkman (born 1956 in Portland, Oregon) is an American scientist. She is a biochemist and molecular biologist. She works as a professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Professor Bjorkman studies the shapes of proteins. These proteins are important for our immune system. They help our bodies fight off viruses. Her main goal is to find better ways to treat diseases. She is known for her important work in structural biology. This field looks at the 3D shapes of tiny parts of living things.
Early Life and Learning
Pamela Bjorkman was born in 1956. She grew up in Parkrose, a neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. She became interested in science when she was in high school.
She first went to Willamette University. Then she moved to the University of Oregon. There, she earned a degree in chemistry in 1978. While studying, she also worked in labs at Reed College and the University of Oregon.
In 1978, she started her PhD in biochemistry at Harvard University. She joined the lab of Don Craig Wiley. He was a scientist who used a method called x-ray crystallography. This method helps scientists see the tiny structures of molecules. Pamela Bjorkman earned her PhD in 1984.
She continued working in Wiley's lab. There, she made a big discovery. She figured out the first 3D shape of an MHC protein. This protein is called HLA-A2. It is a key part of the human immune system. Her findings were published in 1987.
Career and Discoveries
After Harvard, Dr. Bjorkman continued her research at Stanford University. She studied how T-cell receptors recognize invaders in the body. She worked with Mark M. Davis to create a model. This model explained how the immune system recognizes these invaders.
While at Stanford, Pamela Bjorkman married Kai Zinn. He is also a neurobiologist and a professor at Caltech. They have two children.
In 1989, Dr. Bjorkman joined the faculty at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She became an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 1995. Then she became a full professor in 1998. From 1989 to 2015, she was also an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 2018, she became the David Baltimore Professor.
The Bjorkman Laboratory at Caltech studies how our immune system fights viruses. Their main goal is to find better treatments and help create vaccines. Her research looks at viruses like HIV-1, influenza, and hepatitis C. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, she has also studied SARS-CoV-2. During the pandemic, she worked with Michel C. Nussenzweig. They studied the structures of coronavirus spike proteins. This work is very important for making new vaccines. It helps fight new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Dr. Bjorkman's lab uses special tools to study viruses. These tools include x-ray crystallography and different types of electron microscopy. They help her see the tiny structures of viruses. Her research also focuses on making special antibodys. Antibodies are proteins that help the immune system fight off infections. She also works on creating new types of vaccines.
Her research has been published in famous science magazines. These include Nature and Science.
Awards and Honors
- 1989 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
- 1993 Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award
- 1994 Gairdner Foundation International Award (with Don Wiley)
- 1994 James R. Klinenberg Science Award
- 1996 AAI-PharMingen Investigator Award
- 1996 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
- 1997 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 1997 James R. Klinenberg Science Award
- 2001 Member of the National Academy of Sciences
- 2002 Max Planck Research Award [de]
- 2002 Member of the American Philosophical Society
- 2004 Rose Payne Distinguished Scientist Award
- 2006 L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science
- 2010 National Institute of Health Director's Pioneer Award
- 2021 Greengard Prize
See also
In Spanish: Pamela J. Bjorkman para niños
