Linda Carol Samuelson (born 1954) is an American physiologist who researches the role of

stem cell In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can change into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell ...

s in the

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the Digestion, digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascula ...

. She is the John A. Williams Collegiate Professor of Gastrointestinal Physiology at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, president of the

American Physiological Society The American Physiological Society is a non-profit professional society for physiologists. It has nearly 10,000 members, most of whom hold doctoral degrees in medicine, physiology, or other health professions. Its mission is to support research ...

, and fellow of the American Physiological Society and the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

Early life and education

Linda Carol Samuelson was born to parents Bonnie and Roy Samuelson. She grew up in

East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, Michigan with three siblings. She had an early interest in science and math, and would help her high school chemistry teacher facilitate lab sessions. She attended

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

for her bachelor's degree in biochemistry (1976) and the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

for her PhD in microbiology (1984) under the advisorship of Rosann Farber.

Career

She worked as an assistant research scientist at the

from 1988 to 1991, at which point she became an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and full professor in 2003. In 2011, she became the John A. Williams Collegiate Professor of Gastrointestinal Physiology. Samuelson researches the role of

s in the

. She has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the ''

Annual Review of Physiology The ''Annual Review of Physiology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes review articles about physiology. First published in 1939 through a collaboration between the American Physiological Society and Annual Reviews (publisher), Ann ...

'', ''Physiological Genomics'', ''

Gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometime ...

'', and '' AJP-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology''.

Awards and honors

In 2015 she was elected as an inaugural fellow of the

. She was elected a fellow of the

in 2019. In 2020 she became the 93rd president of the American Physiological Society.

Personal life

Her interests include the

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

and cycling. She is married to Joel Howell, who is also a faculty member at the University of Michigan. They met while studying at Michigan State University. They have two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelson, Linda C Living people 1954 births People from East Lansing, Michigan Michigan State University alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Michigan faculty American physiologists American women physiologists Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science American women scientists American women academics 21st-century American women