Wilma Olson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilma K. Olson
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Alma mater |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Rutgers University |
| Thesis | The Configurational Statistics of Polynucleotide Chains (1971) |
| Doctoral advisor | Paul J. Flory |
Wilma K. Olson is a very important scientist at Rutgers University. She is known as the Mary I. Bunting professor at the Rutgers Center for Quantitative Biology. Professor Olson leads her own research team on the New Brunswick campus. Even though she first studied how polymers (long chains of molecules) are made, her main research now focuses on nucleic acids. These are super important molecules like DNA and RNA. She tries to understand how their shape affects what they do and how they interact with other things.
Learning and Degrees
Wilma Olson started her science journey at the University of Delaware. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry there in 1967. She did so well that she graduated with honors!
After that, she went to Stanford University to get her Ph.D. (a very high-level degree) in 1971. Her studies focused on how polynucleotide chains (which are parts of DNA and RNA) are shaped. Her teacher was a famous polymer scientist named Paul J. Flory. He later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1974, which is a huge award for scientists!
Her Career in Science
After finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Olson continued to work with Paul Flory for a while. Then, she became a special research fellow at Columbia University. There, she worked with a geneticist named Charles R. Cantor.
In 1972, Wilma Olson joined Rutgers University as a professor. She became a full professor in 1979. During her time at Rutgers, she also taught as a visiting professor in other countries. She taught at the University of Basel in Switzerland and at Jilin University in China.
Wilma Olson also helped create something called the nucleic acid database. This is a huge collection of information about DNA and RNA structures. She worked with another scientist, Helen M. Berman, on this important project.
What She Researches
Professor Olson's research is all about understanding DNA and RNA. She looks at DNA like it's a long chain made of tiny atoms and chemical bonds.
- DNA and Proteins: She studies how DNA interacts with special proteins called histones. These proteins don't attach to the main parts of DNA (the bases), but to its "backbone" (the phosphorus-sugar part). This helps DNA fit inside cells.
- Circular DNA: She also investigates how much energy it takes for DNA to form a circle. This is important because DNA can sometimes be circular in living things.
- RNA Folding: Another big part of her work is understanding how RNA folds into its complex shapes. Think about the helices (spirals) and loops you see in a ribosome (a cell's protein factory). Her research helps explain how these shapes form.
- DNA Changes: She also looks at how DNA changes its structure. This information is super helpful for designing new medicines and materials that can interact with DNA.
Awards and Honors
Wilma Olson has received many important awards throughout her career. Some of these include:
- Douglass College Medal, 2001
- 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
