Nancy C. Andrews
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Nancy C. Andrews (born November 29, 1958) is an American
biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
and physician noted for her research on
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
homeostasis In biology, homeostasis (British English, British also homoeostasis; ) is the state of steady internal physics, physical and chemistry, chemical conditions maintained by organism, living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning fo ...
. Andrews was formerly
Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...
of the
Duke University School of Medicine The Duke University School of Medicine, commonly known as Duke Med, is the medical school of Duke University. It was established in 1925 by James B. Duke. The School of Medicine, along with the Duke University School of Nursing, Duke Universi ...
.Duke University
"Harvard Physician-Scientist Named Dean of Duke University School of Medicine"
August 27, 2007


Biography

Andrews grew up in
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
. She earned a B.S. and
M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...
from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. She carried out her M.S. research with
Joan Steitz Joan Elaine Argetsinger Steitz (born January 26, 1941) is an American biochemist and molecular biologist, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, the Director of the Molecular Genetics Program at the Boyer Center for Molecul ...
, studying
molecular biophysics Molecular biophysics is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary area of research that combines concepts in physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and biology. It seeks to understand biomolecular systems and explain biological function in ter ...
and
biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...
, and continued her graduate work with
David Baltimore David Baltimore (born March 7, 1938) is an American biologist, university administrator, and 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine. He is a professor of biology at the California Institute of Tech ...
. She earned a Ph.D. in 1985 from
M.I.T. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sci ...
and an M.D. from
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
in 1987 . She completed her postdoctoral work with
Stuart Orkin Stuart Holland Orkin is an American physician, stem cell biologist and researcher in pediatric hematology-oncology. He is the David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Orkin's research has focused on the gen ...
at
Children's Hospital Boston Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...
. Andrews then joined the faculty at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, Boston Children's Hospital and the
Dana–Farber Cancer Institute Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana-Farber is the founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's Comprehensive Cancer Center designated ...
in 1991, assuming an
endowed chair A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...
in 2003, and the position of Dean for Basic Sciences and Graduate Studies at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
. In 2007, Andrews left to take a position as the first female Dean of Medicine at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
."Duke Taps First Woman To Lead Medical School"
''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', Aug. 28, 2007.
In this position, she was the only woman heading any of the top ten medical schools in the U.S."Andrews Makes History at Duke Med School"
Interview with Dr. Nancy Andrews, ''
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
'', Sept. 2, 2007 (Andrews discusses "the challenges facing
women in medicine The presence of women in medicine, particularly in the practicing fields of surgery and as physicians, has been traced to the earliest of history. Women have historically had lower participation levels in medical fields compared to men with occu ...
and where
medical education Medical education is vocational education, education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, including the initial training to become a physician (i.e., medical school and internship (medical), internship) and additional trainin ...
is headed").
She stepped down from the Deanship in 2017. Andrews was selected as the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Boston Children's Hospital in November 2021. Andrews studied treatments for and molecular processes governing iron disease, such as
anemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...
(
iron deficiency Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key ...
) and
hemochromatosis Iron overload is the abnormal and increased accumulation of total iron in the body, leading to organ damage. The primary mechanism of organ damage is oxidative stress, as elevated intracellular iron levels increase free radical formation via the ...
."Iron Exporter Revealed That May Explain Common Human Disorder"
''ScienceDaily'', Mar. 31, 2005.
Andrews served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences from 2017 to 2023 and is currently Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences. She is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Novartis, Charles River Laboratories and Maze Therapeutics.


Personal life

She is married to fellow biologist Bernard Mathey-Prevot. She is the great-granddaughter of
New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...
Judge
William Shankland Andrews William Shankland Andrews (September 25, 1858 – August 5, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Early life and education He was the son of New York Appellate Judge Charles Andrews, the husband of Mary Raymond Shipman, an ...
and author
Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews Mary Raymond Andrews ( Shipman; April 2, 1860 – August 2, 1936) was an American writer. She is best known for a widely read short story about US President Abraham Lincoln, "The Perfect Tribute", which was adapted for film twice and sold 600,000 ...
, and great-great-granddaughter of
New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...
Chief Judge Charles Andrews and Bishop
Frederic Dan Huntington Frederic (or Frederick) Dan Huntington (May 28, 1819, Hadley, Massachusetts – July 11, 1904, Hadley, Massachusetts) was an American clergyman and the first Protestant Episcopal bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. Early life, ...
. She is also the great-niece of composer
Roger Sessions Roger Huntington Sessions (December 28, 1896March 16, 1985) was an American composer, teacher, and writer on music. He had started his career writing in a neoclassical style, but gradually moved towards complex harmonies and postromanticism, a ...
, who was the brother of her paternal grandmother, Hannah Sargent Sessions Andrews.


Awards and honors

* 1993–2006, Investigator,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland with additional facilities in Ashburn, Virginia. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American busin ...
* 1998 Samuel Rosenthal Prize for Excellence in Academic Pediatrics * 2000 American Federation for Medical Research Foundation Outstanding Investigator Award in Basic Science * 2002 E. Mead Johnson Award from the Society for Pediatric Research * 2004 Dean's Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women Faculty at Harvard Medical School. * 2006 Elected to the
National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...
,
National Academies of Science 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 Nati ...
* 2007 Elected as a Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) 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, and other ...
* 2010 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science * 2013 Henry M. Stratton Medal, American Society of Hematology * 2015 Elected to the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, 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 ...


Selected works

* Andrews NC, Erdjument-Bromage H, Davidson MB, Tempst P, Orkin SH. Erythroid transcription factor NF-E2 is a haematopoietic-specific basic-leucine zipper protein. Nature 1993; 362:722-8. * Fleming MD, Trenor CC 3rd, Su MA, Foernzler D, Beier DR, Dietrich WF, and Andrews NC. Microcytic anemia mice have a mutation in Nramp2, a candidate iron transporter gene. Nature Genetics 1997; 16:383-6. * Levy JE, Jin O, Fujiwara Y, Kuo F, Andrews NC. Transferrin receptor is necessary for development of erythrocytes and the nervous system. Nature Genetics 1999; 21:396-9. * Andrews NC. Medical Progress: Disorders of Iron Metabolism. New England Journal of Medicine 1999;341:1986-95. * Donovan A, Brownlie A, Zhou Y, Shepard J, Pratt SJ, Moynihan J, Paw BH, Drejer A, Barut B, Zapata A, Law TC, Brugnara C, Lux SE, Pinkus GS, Pinkus JL, Kingsley PD, Palis J, Fleming MD, Andrews NC, Zon LI. Positional cloning of zebrafish ferroportin 1 identifies a conserved vertebrate iron exporter. Nature 2000; 403:776-81. * Andrews NC. The other physician-scientist problem: where have all the young girls gone? Nature Medicine 2002; 8:439-41. * Donovan A, Lima CA, Pinkus JL, Pinkus GS, Zon LI, Robine S, Andrews NC. The iron exporter ferroportin (Slc40a1) is essential for iron homeostasis. Cell Metabolism 2005; 1:191-200. * Gunshin H, Fujiwara Y, Custodio A, DiRenzo C, Robine S, Andrews NC. Slc11a2 is required for intestinal iron absorption and erythropoiesis but dispensable in placenta and liver. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2005; 115(5):1258-1266. * Schmidt PJ, Toran PT, Giannetti AM, Bjorkman PJ and Andrews NC. The transferrin receptor modulates Hfe-dependent regulation of hepcidin expression. Cell Metabolism 2008; 7:205-14. * Finberg KE, Heeney MM, Campagna DR, Aydinok Y, Pearson HA, Hartman KR, Mayo MM, Samuel SM, Strouse JJ, Markianos K, Andrews NC, Fleming MD. Mutations in TMPRSS6 cause iron-refractory, iron deficiency anemia. Nature Genetics 2008; 40:569-571. * Xu W, Barrientos T, Mao L, Rockman HA, Sauve AA, Andrews NC. Lethal cardiomyopathy in mice lacking transferrin receptor in the heart. Cell Reports 2015; 13:533-45.


References


External links


Nancy Andrews profileNancy Andrews scholars
at Duke
Article by Andrews on "Climbing Through Medicine's Glass Ceiling"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Nancy (biologist) 1958 births Living people American women biochemists 21st-century American biologists Duke University faculty Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard Medical School alumni Harvard Medical School faculty Howard Hughes Medical Investigators Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni 21st-century American women physicians 21st-century American physicians Yale University alumni Members of the National Academy of Medicine 21st-century American women scientists American women academics