Wilma Olson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilma K. Olson
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| Institutions | Rutgers University |
| Thesis | The Configurational Statistics of Polynucleotide Chains (1971) |
| Doctoral advisor | Paul J. Flory |
Wilma K. Olson is a brilliant scientist who studies tiny parts of our bodies called nucleic acids. These include DNA and RNA, which are like blueprints for life! She is a professor at the Rutgers Center for Quantitative Biology (CQB) at Rutgers University. Professor Olson leads her own research team there.
Even though she first trained as a polymer chemist (someone who studies large chains of molecules), her main goal is to understand how the shape and structure of DNA and RNA affect how they work.
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Education and Early Career
Wilma Olson earned her first degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware in 1967. She graduated with high honors. While studying there, she received a special student award from the American Chemical Society.
In 1971, she earned her Ph.D. (a very high degree) from Stanford University. Her research focused on how polynucleotide chains (which make up DNA) are shaped. Her teacher was Paul J. Flory, a famous polymer scientist who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1974.
After her Ph.D., Dr. Olson continued her research with Paul Flory. She then became a special research fellow at Columbia University. There, she worked with a geneticist named Charles R. Cantor.
Professional Life at Rutgers
In 1972, Wilma Olson joined Rutgers University as an assistant professor. She became a full professor in 1979.
During her time at Rutgers, she also taught as a visiting professor in other countries. She visited the University of Basel in Switzerland from 1979 to 1980. She also taught at the Polymer Chemistry Department of Jilin University in Changchun, China, in 1981.
Wilma Olson also helped create the nucleic acid database. This was a big project she worked on with another scientist, Helen M. Berman.
What Wilma Olson Studies
Professor Olson studies DNA like it's a long chain made of tiny atoms and chemical bonds. She looks at how DNA interacts with special proteins called histones. These proteins don't attach to the main parts of DNA (the nuclear bases). Instead, they connect to the "backbone" of the DNA, which is made of phosphorus and sugar.
She also investigates how much energy it takes for DNA to form a circular shape. One of her main goals is to understand how the small, local parts of RNA affect its overall shape. For example, she studies the helices (spirals) and loops found in the ribosome, which is like a protein factory in our cells.
Another important goal of her research is to discover the detailed structures of how nucleic acids change their shapes. This includes how different types of DNA strands interact. This information is very helpful for designing new medicines and materials in the future.
Awards and Honors
Wilma Olson has received many awards throughout her career for her important work:
- Douglass College Medal, 2001
- American Chemical Society – North Jersey Section
- Sister Marian José Smith Excellence in Education Award, 2000
- New Jersey Woman of Achievement Award, 1998
- Wellcome Visiting Professorship, New York University, 1997
- American Women in Science, New York Area Scientist of the Year Award, 1994
- National Lecturer and National Award for Excellence and Leadership in Biophysics, Biophysical Society, 1994
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences MERIT Award, 1988–98
- Rutgers University Board of Trustees Research Award, 1993
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 1978
