SUSAN NAYLOR, PhD
Department of Cellular and Structural Biology

Few stories have captured headlines like the unraveling of the human genome. Dr. Susan L. Naylor is one of the key leaders in that effort.

Dr. Naylor is part of the international team that cracked the code of human composition. Her laboratory made a vital contribution to mapping Chromosome 3 as part of the Human Genome Project. The chromosome is the third largest of the human chromosomes and accounts for 7 percent of a person's entire genetic makeup. Chromosome 3 has been linked to lung, kidney, ovarian, uterine, testicular, and head and neck cancer

"Our work with the genome project was part of a global effort to correctly sequence and assemble the genome. It has far-reaching significance to the scientific community," Dr. Naylor said. "However, our research concerning cancer, which was based on our initial genome observations, is what I hope will have the greatest impact on the understanding and curing of the deadly disease."

Dr. Naylor co-authored one of the landmark scientific papers of all time, "A Physical Map of the Human Genome," which appeared in the prestigious journal Nature.

She also mapped the gene for Huntington's disease and has organized numerous international workshops to organize genome data.

Dr. Naylor has mentored a dozen postdoctoral fellows and written more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 22 book chapters. Dr. Naylor also was the only American selected for the Program Committee for the 10th International Congress of Human Genetics.

Dr. Naylor's work is nothing short of remarkable. Her contributions have permanently cemented the Health Science Center in the international community. More importantly, her research has led to discoveries that will improve the lives of countless people throughout the world.