Catherine Drennan is a preeminent leader in structural biology whose innovative approaches have revolutionized our understanding of metalloenzyme mechanisms with profound implications for human health and environmental science. Catherine Drennan has held the title of Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor (2006–present) and is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2008–present), while holding faculty appointments as Professor of Chemistry and Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After completing her undergraduate chemistry studies at Vassar College under Professor Miriam Rossi, she gained distinctive teaching experience as a high school science and drama instructor at a Quaker-run farm school in Iowa before pursuing her doctoral studies. She earned her PhD in biological chemistry from the University of Michigan working with crystallography pioneer Martha Ludwig, then conducted postdoctoral research at Caltech with Professor Douglas C. Rees before joining the MIT faculty in 1999.
Drennan's groundbreaking research integrates X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and biophysical methods to visualize metalloenzymes in action, revealing how these proteins utilize metal cofactors to catalyze complex chemical reactions involving free radicals. Her laboratory achieved a major breakthrough in 2011 with the atomic resolution determination of an active ribonucleotide reductase structure, providing unprecedented mechanistic insights into this essential DNA synthesis enzyme that represents a promising target for cancer and antibiotic therapies. Her work extends to environmentally significant applications, exploring metalloenzymes capable of converting carbon dioxide into biofuels and other valuable compounds, with implications for developing new therapeutic strategies and bioremediation technologies. These structural studies have fundamentally advanced the field's understanding of enzyme catalysis, particularly in medically important and environmentally relevant systems.
Beyond her research excellence, Drennan is deeply committed to transforming chemistry education and promoting diversity in science, developing innovative resources that help students recognize chemical principles in biological contexts while mentoring numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. She has received multiple prestigious teaching awards including the MIT Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award and Dean's Educational and Student Advising Award, demonstrating her dual commitment to research and education. As a MacVicar Faculty Fellow and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she continues to shape structural biology through leadership in professional societies and dedication to training the next generation of scientists. Currently elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2023, her ongoing research focuses on resolving dynamic structures of metalloenzymes to inform novel therapeutic approaches and environmental applications, ensuring her work remains at the forefront of biochemical discovery.
