Elizabeth Shull Russell (May 1, 1913 – May 28, 2001), also known as "Tibby" Russell, was an American biologist in the field of mammalian developmental

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar worki ...

, spending most of her career at the

Jackson Laboratory The Jackson Laboratory (often abbreviated as JAX) is an independent, non-profit biomedical research institution which was founded by a eugenicist. It employs more than 3,000 employees in Bar Harbor, Maine; Sacramento, California; Farmington, Co ...

in Bar Harbor, Maine. Russell is most recognized for her ground breaking work in

pigmentation A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

, blood-forming cells, and

germ cells Germ or germs may refer to: Science * Germ (microorganism), an informal word for a pathogen * Germ cell, cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually * Germ layer, a primary layer of cells that forms during embry ...

. She also raised awareness of the benefits of genetically-defined laboratory animals in biomedical research.

Personal life

Russell was born Elizabeth Buckley Shull born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was the eldest child of Margaret Jeffrey Buckley and

Aaron Franklin Shull Aaron Franklin Shull (1 August 1881 – 7 November 1961) was an American zoologist and professor at the University of Michigan. He contributed to studies on genetics and evolution. He was noted as an influential teacher who took a keen interest in t ...

, both of whom were zoologists, and the niece of

George H. Shull George Harrison Shull (April 15, 1874 – September 28, 1954) was an eminent American plant geneticist and the younger brother of botanical illustrator and plant breeder J. Marion Shull. He was born on a farm in Clark County, Ohio, graduated from ...

, a prominent geneticist. Elizabeth was fascinated by science and the scientific approach from an early age, leading her to study zoology at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, from which she graduated in 1933. After receiving a scholarship from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

and completing her master's degree in 1934, she went to work at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

, obtaining her Ph.D. in zoology in 1937, and marrying fellow student William L. Russell the same year. The couple moved to work at Jackson Memorial Laboratory, however, her position was unpaid. Russell began studying

tumorogenesis Carcinogenesis, also called oncogenesis or tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abnorm ...

in fruitflies (''

Drosophila melanogaster ''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the " vinegar fly" or " pomace fly". Starting with ...

''). She had two publications and four children between the years 1940 and 1946 (three boys, Richard, John, and James and a girl, Ellen). The nickname ''Tibby'' came from her husband, because they worked in a laboratory with several other women named Elizabeth. In 1947 Russell's marriage ended in divorce, but she maintained a good relationship with her ex-husband. Later that year the Jackson Memorial Laboratory burnt down, killing the majority of the research animals. Elizabeth was in charge of obtaining new mice from laboratories around the world.

Major works

Russell went on to genetically characterize many laboratory animals for

phenotypes In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological prop ...

such as physical attributes and disease susceptibilities, completing a monumental

histological Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

study on the effect that the major coat color mutations of the mouse have on the physical attributes and distribution of pigment granules in the hair. This analysis is the first attempt to define each phenotype of the mouse in terms of genetic factors, setting the stage for virtually all coat-color studies.

Recognition and awards

Russell was a member of the advisory council of the

National Institute on Aging The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIA itself is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the ...

for five years. She was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, ...

in 1956 and a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nat ...

in 1972. In 1978 she was appointed by the secretary of health, education, and welfare to co-chair a committee assessing the future need for biomedical researchers. She was the recipient of a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

in 1958; and in 1983 was named one of Ten Outstanding Women of Northern and Eastern Maine. That same year, she was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...

. She received, among other things, the Woman of Achievement Award from

Westbrook College Westbrook College was a liberal arts college in Portland, Maine, founded 1831 as Westbrook Seminary in Westbrook, Maine. It closed in 1996 and merged with the University of New England, which uses its old campus. History In 1831, Westbrook Sem ...

in 1985; and the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifi ...

's Maryann Hartman Award in 1990; as well as honorary degrees from several Maine colleges. In 1991 she was elected to the

Maine Women's Hall of Fame The Maine Women's Hall of Fame was created in 1990 to honor the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Maine. The induction ceremonies are held each year during March, designated as Women's History Month. Nominees are chosen by the ...

. She also served as a trustee at the

(1975–83),

College of the Atlantic College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private liberal arts college in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. Founded in 1969, it awards bachelors and masters ( M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, an interdiscip ...

(1977) and

Associated Universities, Inc Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a research management corporation that builds and operates facilities for the research community. AUI is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, headquartered in Washington, DC. The President is Dr. Adam ...

. (1977–83).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Elizabeth S. 1913 births 2001 deaths American geneticists Columbia University alumni Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Ann Arbor, Michigan University of Chicago alumni University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni 20th-century American women scientists American women geneticists Members of the American Philosophical Society