We are happy to welcome Dr. Jessica Brown to the faculty at Notre Dame as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry. Dr. Brown received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Ohio State University in 2010. Her work there under the mentorship of Prof. Zucai Suo focused on the study of kinetic mechanisms of DNA polymerases. After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Brown conducted her postdoctoral research at Yale University under the guidance of Prof. Joan Steitz. Her work at Yale led to the discovery that unique triple-helix structures form at the 3’ ends of two cancer-associated human long noncoding RNAs. Dr. Brown has already initiated her own independent research, enabled by an NIH Pathway to Independence Award, studying the inhibitory mechanisms of RNA triple helices in nuclear decay. In addition, she examines the basic biochemical and structural principles of RNA triple helices.
Dr. Brown will establish her research group specializing in understanding the biological, biochemical, and structural roles of RNA triple helices. Her research interests are centered on RNA-protein biochemistry and structural biology, which can play important roles in cancer identification and treatment.