NEWS

Scientific Advisory Committee Elects Dr. Joan Steitz

October 2009

On September 30, the RAF Board of Directors unanimously named Dr. Joan Steitz, a respected scientist whose research may yield new insight into the diagnosis and treatment of the autoimmune disease lupus, a full member of the Rita Allen Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Steitz is known for discovering and defining the function of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). She is Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Steitz is married to Thomas Steitz, also a Sterling Professor at Yale, the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
In addition to advising the RAF Board of Directors, the SAC exercises important responsibilities with respect to RAF grants and the Scholars program. Since RAF reviews grant proposals by invitation only, awards are to leading research institutions selected by the SAC. Grants support Scholars in the early stages of their research careers.