Lynn McQuatt has dedicated the past 40-plus years to studying and understanding the metabolism (essentially the entire life cycle) of two important genetic components.
Currently, the University of Rochester professor has received two prestigious awards for his work.
She has focused on the role of RNA and messenger RNA in diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
Most recently, Dr. Makuat received the Albany Medical Center Medicine and Biomedical Research Award, one of the nation’s largest medical and scientific awards. She is also the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, awarded by Johnson & Johnson.
“If I had been asked when I started my independent lab, I would have never imagined it,” Makuat said after Wednesday’s press conference.
“I just wanted to continue to be funded with NIH government funding so that we could continue to unravel the mysteries of the diseases that we study,” she added. “So I’m really excited that we survived. Not only did we survive, we thrived.”
Her research helped lay the foundation for medical advances such as a COVID-19 vaccine and RNA therapy for muscular dystrophy, which are being tested in Rochester and across the country.
Dr. David Linehan, CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center, said, “She is an expert on how RNA functions in our cells and how it affects our health and causes disease.” “It answered some of the most complex questions.” “Her research has pushed RNA to the forefront of health and medicine. Hundreds of RNA-based drugs are currently in development for diseases as diverse as cystic fibrosis and cancer. ”
McCourt began researching RNA at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, where he worked for 19 years and was the only RNA biologist. She then came to URMC and has been there for 24 years. She is the director of the Center for RNA Biology.
For Makat, the award is important because it also highlights the role of women as leaders in scientific research. An advocate for women in science, she founded UR’s Women in Science Graduate Program, which encourages women to pursue careers in science and provides mentorship and development opportunities.
Maquat also gave advice to students. I encouraged them to take advantage of their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses, and to try to do whatever they want without getting ahead of themselves.
“Do the best you can and you might be surprised where you end up,” Makuat said.
