MURJ
Features
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Volume 39, Spring 2020
MURJ Spotlight: Ruth Lehmann
This issue’s spotlight features Ruth Lehmann, newly elected Director of the Whitehead Institute By Rachel Rock INTRODUCTION Ruth Lehmann was announced as the second-ever female director of MIT’s Whitehead Institute, effective July 1st of this year. With a relative dearth of female role models to guide her, Professor Lehmann forged her own path in biology. From a Fulbright in the United States to a faculty position and tenure at MIT, and leadership as Director of the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and Chair of Cell Biology at NYU Medical School, Professor Lehmann has gone far. Her research on Drosophila development is remarkable, as is her ability to establish an environment that supports diversity and curiosity-driven research. This interview will cover Professor Lehmann’s personal and scientific journey, as well as the priority values which will guide her in directing the Whitehead Institute.
INTERVIEW When did you first become interested in science?
Ruth Lehmann will begin her new role as Director of the Whitehead Institute on July 1, 2020
Did you have any early role models in pursuing In high school, called gymnasium in Germany, I science? You mentioned a high school teacher…? became interested in biology, as I had an engaging Well, he was a very inspiring teacher, because biology teacher, and I was always reasonably good he encouraged us to explore and learn about in mathematics and quantitative areas. However, big open questions. Then, my first years as an I was torn about what to do after high school. In undergrad were unfortunately quite boring. Germany, you enter medical school directly from Funny, but the coursework at the university was high school, and I was torn about medical school less interesting than at high school, where we versus biology. Around that time, I was an intern learned about memory, DNA replication, and so at a doctor’s office, and medicine didn’t appeal to many interesting facets of biology to me. You’re a me, so, I was off to study biology. biology major, right? 11
