Suzanne Cory (born 11 March 1942) is an Australian molecular biologist. She has worked on the genetics of the immune system and cancer and has lobbied her country to invest in science. She is married to fellow scientist Jerry Adams, also a WEHI scientist, whom she met while studying for her PhD at the University of Cambridge, England.

Education and personal life

Suzanne Cory was raised in the Kew suburbs of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. She attended

Canterbury Girls' Secondary College Canterbury Girls Secondary College is an all-girls secondary school located in Canterbury, Victoria, Australia. The school provides an education from years 7 to 12. History It was established in 1928 as East Camberwell Domestic Arts School, ...

, followed by

University High School, Melbourne , motto_translation = With Zeal and Loyalty , established = , type = Government-funded co-educational secondary day school , principal = Ciar Foster , location = 77 St ...

. Her further education includes undergraduate studies at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...

and earning a PhD from the MRC

Laboratory of Molecular Biology The Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is a research institute in Cambridge, England, involved in the revolution in molecular biology which occurred in the 1950–60s. Since then it has remained a major medical r ...

(LMB) in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Cory attended the LMB at the same time as the Nobel Prize winners

Francis Crick Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the helical stru ...

, known for his co-discovery of the structure of DNA, and

Frederick Sanger Frederick Sanger (; 13 August 1918 – 19 November 2013) was an English biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice. He won the 1958 Chemistry Prize for determining the amino acid sequence of insulin and numerous other p ...

, who revolutionised nucleic acid sequencing. While obtaining her PhD, Cory used Sanger's RNA sequencing techniques to identify the sequence of transfer RNA. Also, during her time at the LMB, Cory met her current husband, Jerry Adams, a scientist from the United States. The two scientists later married and had two daughters.

Research and accomplishments

Following her time at the LMB, Cory travelled to the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centur ...

for her post-doctoral studies. While in Geneva, she focused on sequencing the RNA of R17

bacteriophage A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a ''phage'' (), is a duplodnaviria virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from "bacteria" and the Greek φαγεῖν ('), meaning "to devour". Bac ...

for the purpose of using it as a model. In 1971, Cory and her husband began their research at the

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research WEHI (), previously known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, is Australia's oldest medical research institute. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, who won the Nobel Prize in 1960 for ...

, located in Melbourne, Australia. The two scientists helped introduce new scientific technology and methods they had been exposed to in Geneva and Cambridge, which helped expand and better the molecular biology research in Australia. They initially chose to study the genetic component of immunity, discovering that

antibody An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of t ...

genes are a combination of pieces and can be arranged in a variety of ways. This discovery helped explain the diversity of the immune system and its ability to fight a large array of harmful cell invaders. After a decade of studying the immune system, Cory's lab switched their focus to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

and the genetic components of various cancers. Her lab discovered the genetic mutations that lead to

Burkitt's lymphoma Burkitt lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, particularly B lymphocytes found in the germinal center. It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, the Irish surgeon who first described the disease in 1958 while working in equatorial Africa. ...

and

Follicular lymphoma Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a cancer that involves certain types of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. The cancer originates from the uncontrolled division of specific types of B-cells known as centrocytes and centroblasts. These cells norma ...

. One of the main focuses of their cancer cell research is on cell proliferation and cell death. In particular, the

oncoprotein An oncogene is a gene that has the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, these genes are often mutated, or expressed at high levels.

Myc and the

Bcl-2 Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2), encoded in humans by the ''BCL2'' gene, is the founding member of the Bcl-2 family of regulator proteins that regulate cell death (apoptosis), by either inhibiting (anti-apoptotic) or inducing (pro-apoptotic) apoptosi ...

protein family are of interest to her current research lab. Bcl-2 is an important family of intracellular proteins that helps regulate

apoptosis Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes ( morphology) and death. These changes in ...

, or cell suicide. Bcl-2, paired with other regulators, prevents

caspase Caspases (cysteine-aspartic proteases, cysteine aspartases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases) are a family of protease enzymes playing essential roles in programmed cell death. They are named caspases due to their specific cyste ...

s from being activated. The caspases, a type of protease, remain inactive until signaled through a cascade to degrade the proteins that make up a cell. Cory's lab has developed Bcl2-blocking agents called BH3 mimetics, which, when paired with low-dose

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

, have had positive results treating specific types of aggressive

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...

s. Cory is the immediate past President of the

Australian Academy of Science The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The academy is modelled after the Royal Soc ...

. She was the first-elected female President of the Academy and took office on 7 May 2010 for a four-year term, replacing the former president, Professor

Kurt Lambeck Professor Kurt Lambeck AC, FRS, FAA, FRSN (born 20 September 1941 in Utrecht, Netherlands) is Professor of Geophysics at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. He has also taught at University of Paris and at Smithsonian a ...

. Since its formation in 1954, there has only been one other female president of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor

Dorothy Hill Dorothy Hill, (10 September 1907 – 23 April 1997) was an Australian geologist and palaeontologist, the first female professor at an Australian university, and the first female president of the Australian Academy of Science. Education Doroth ...

, who filled in for Professor David Forbes Martyn after his death in 1970. Cory was the Director of the

(WEHI), from 1996 until 30 June 2009 and remains a faculty member, having rejoined the institute's Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division. Her current research focuses on genetic changes in blood cancers and the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the cancer cells. Cory's work has been published in research journals including

Blood (journal) ''Blood'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Society of Hematology. It was established by William Dameshek in 1946. The journal changed from semimonthly (24 times annually) to weekly publication at the start of 2009. ...

The EMBO Journal ''The EMBO Journal'' is a semi-monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal focusing on full-length papers describing original research of general interest in molecular biology and related areas. The editor-in-chief is Facundo D. Batista (Harvard Medic ...

Nature (journal) ''Nature'' is a British weekly scientific journal founded and based in London, England. As a multidisciplinary publication, ''Nature'' features peer-reviewed research from a variety of academic disciplines, mainly in science and technology. ...

, Cell Death & Differentiation, and

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sc ...

. The Suzanne Cory High School opened in Cory's honour in 2011. The public high school caters to 800 students from grades 9-12. Qualified students gain entry to the school through a three-hour aptitude test, which is also used for placement into three other highly selective Australian high schools. The school is in close proximity to Victoria University, which allows students access to the school's facilities and staff.

Awards and honors

*1986 — elected a

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science The Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science is made up of about 500 Australian scientists. Scientists judged by their peers to have made an exceptional contribution to knowledge in their field may be elected to Fellowship of the Academy ...

*1992 — elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...

*1997 — awarded Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture of the

*1997 — elected Fellow of the

Royal Society of Victoria The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia. Foundation In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fo ...

(FRSV) *1998 — received Charles S. Mott Prize of the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation (joint recipient) *1999 — named a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

*2001 — recipient of a L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science *2002 — awarded the

Royal Medal The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal and The King's Medal (depending on the gender of the monarch at the time of the award), is a silver-gilt medal, of which three are awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important ...

of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

*2004 — elected an Academician of the

Pontifical Academy of Sciences The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( it, Pontificia accademia delle scienze, la, Pontificia Academia Scientiarum) is a scientific academy of the Vatican City, established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. Its aim is to promote the progress of the mat ...

*2009 — named a

Chevalier of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

and was presented with her award in Canberra, Australia, by the Ambassador of France in Australia, Michel Filhol *2011 — Suzanne Cory High School commenced in Werribee, Victoria *2011 — awarded the Association for International Cancer Research Colin Thomson Medal *2012 — winner, CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science *2013 — elected as a Fellow of the inaugural Class of the

American Association for Cancer Research The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's oldest and largest professional association related to cancer research. Based in Philadelphia, the AACR focuses on all aspects of cancer research, including basic, clinical, and tr ...

(AACR) Academy *2014 — delivered the annual ABC

Boyer Lectures The Boyer Lectures are a series of talks by prominent Australians, presenting ideas on major social, scientific or cultural issues, and broadcast on ABC Radio National. The Boyer Lectures began in 1959 as the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commi ...

*2021 — elected Fellow of the

Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is an academy to promote health and medical sciences in Australia. It was established in June 2014. It cites "The Academy will serve the three purposes identified as of high priority in the 20 ...

References

External links

* Overview o
directorship
an
research
at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. * Smith, Deborah

''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'', 7 August 2010. *
Suzanne Cory on Women in Science: International Differences
CSHL Digital Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Cory, Suzanne Australian medical researchers Australian women scientists Women medical researchers 1942 births Living people Australia Prize recipients Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Companions of the Order of Australia Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Fellows of the Royal Society Australian Fellows of the Royal Society Female Fellows of the Royal Society L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science laureates Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Members of the French Academy of Sciences Members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences Presidents of the Australian Academy of Science Royal Medal winners People educated at University High School, Melbourne WEHI alumni Place of birth missing (living people) 20th-century Australian scientists 21st-century Australian scientists 20th-century biologists 21st-century biologists 20th-century American women scientists 21st-century American women scientists Fellows of the AACR Academy Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences People from Kew, Victoria Scientists from Melbourne People educated at Canterbury Girls' Secondary College