Silvana Konermann

{{Short description|Swiss-American bioengineer and neuroscientist}} {{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Silvana Konermann | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image =  | image_size = | image_upright = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Silvana Maria Konermann | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1988}}<ref name="planet"/> | birth_place = [[Baden, Switzerland|Baden]], [[Switzerland]] | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause =  | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | other_names = | siglum = | pronounce = | citizenship =  | nationality =  | fields = [[Bioengineering]], [[Neuroscience]] | workplaces = [[Stanford University]], [[Arc Institute]] | patrons = | education = {{plainlist| * [[ETH Zurich]] (BSc) * [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (PhD)}} | alma_mater = | thesis_title = Interrogation and control of mammalian transcription | thesis_url = https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/106436 | thesis_year = 2016 | doctoral_advisor = [[Feng Zhang]] | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = [[CRISPR activation|CRISPRa]], [[CRISPR-Cas13]], [[Transcriptomics technologies|transcriptome engineering]] | awards = [https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/basic-sciences-division/weintraub-graduate-student-award.html Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award] | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = {{marriage|[[Patrick Collison]]|2022}} | partner =  | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | signature =  | signature_type =  | signature_alt = | website = [https://arcinstitute.org/labs/konermannlab Konermann Lab] | footnotes = }}

'''Silvana Konermann''' (born 1988) is a Swiss-American bioengineer and neuroscientist whose research focuses on [[CRISPR]], [[genome engineering]], [[Transcription (biology)|transcription]] and [[epigenetics]], and [[Alzheimer's disease]]. She is an assistant professor of [[biochemistry]] at [[Stanford University]] and co-founder and executive director of [[Arc Institute]].

Konermann's research laboratory aims to understand the molecular pathways that drive the development of [[Alzheimer’s disease]] using next-generation [[functional genomics]], with the long-term goal of developing rationally targeted therapeutics for [[Neurodegenerative disease|neurodegenerative disorders]].<ref name="Stanford">{{Cite web|url=https://biochemistry.stanford.edu/silvana-konermann|title=Silvana Konermann|website=Stanford Biochemistry}}</ref>

== Biography == Konermann attended [[Sächsisches Landesgymnasium Sankt Afra zu Meißen]] in [[Saxony]], Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-08-26 |title=Ein ganz normales Mädchen |url=https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/noch-immer-werden-hochbegabte-in-irgendwelche-obskuren-ecken-gestellt-als-zombies-verteufelt-oder-als-wunderwesen-verklaert-nichts-von-alledem-stimmt-ein-ganz-normales-maedchen-li.1181122 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=Berliner Zeitung |language=de}}</ref> The [[minor planet]] [[21546 Konermann]] was named in honor of her 2006 second-place finish at the [[International Science and Engineering Fair|Intel International Science and Engineering Fair]].<ref name="planet">{{cite book|title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names|first=Lutz D.|last=Schmadel|edition=6th|publisher=Springer|year=2012|isbn=9783642297182|contribution=21546 Konermann|page=1020|contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg=PA1020}}</ref> She received her Bachelor's degree in neurobiology from [[ETH Zurich]] in 2009.<ref name="LinkedIn">{{Cite web |title=LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvanakonermann/ |access-date=2025-04-01 }}</ref>

In 2010, Konermann entered the Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD program at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name="LinkedIn"></ref> She joined [[Feng Zhang]]'s lab at the [[Broad Institute]] and [[McGovern Institute for Brain Research]] as one of Zhang's first graduate students. During her PhD, Konermann contributed to the development of pioneering genetic perturbation technologies, including one of the first systems for genome-scale [[CRISPR activation]].<ref name = "Konermann_2015">{{cite journal | vauthors = Konermann S, Brigham MD, Trevino AE, Joung J, Abudayyeh OO, Barcena C, Hsu PD, Habib N, Gootenberg JS, Nishimasu H, Nureki O, Zhang F | display-authors = 6 | title = Genome-scale transcriptional activation by an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 complex | journal = Nature | volume = 517 | issue = 7536 | pages = 583–8 | date = January 2015 | pmid = 25494202 | pmc = 4420636 | doi = 10.1038/nature14136 }}</ref> She completed her PhD in neuroscience in 2016, receiving the [[Harold M. Weintraub]] Graduate Student Award for "outstanding achievement during graduate studies in the biological sciences."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Weintraub Award Winners |url=https://www.fredhutch.org/content/dam/www/research/divisions/basic-sciences/weintraub-award/2025-weintraub-awardees/WGSA_Archive_2000-2020.pdf |access-date=2025-04-01 }}</ref>

As a [[postdoctoral fellow]] at the [[Salk Institute]], Konermann was part of the team that discovered [[Cas13d]], a new subclass of compact RNA-targeting CRISPR effectors.<ref name="CasRX">{{cite journal | vauthors = Konermann S, Lotfy P, Brideau NJ, Oki J, Shokhirev MN, Hsu PD | title = Transcriptome Engineering with RNA-Targeting Type VI-D CRISPR Effectors | journal = Cell | date = April 2018 | pmid = 29551272 | pmc = 5910255 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.033 }}</ref> She was named an [[Howard Hughes Medical Institute|HHMI]] [[Hanna Holborn Gray|Hanna H. Gray]] Fellow in 2017 and a [[CZ Biohub]] investigator in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hhmi.org/news/hhmi-selects-15-hanna-gray-fellows-support-diversity-science|title=HHMI Selects 15 Hanna Gray Fellows to Support Diversity in Science|website=hhmi.org}}</ref> In October 2019, Konermann joined Stanford as an assistant professor of biochemistry.<ref name="Stanford" />

Along with [[UC Berkeley]] professor [[Patrick Hsu]] and [[Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]] CEO [[Patrick Collison]], Konermann is a co-founder of nonprofit research organization [[Arc Institute]], where she currently serves as executive director and maintains her research laboratory as a core investigator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arcinstitute.org/about|title=Arc Institute|website=arcinstitute.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Thompson |first=Derek |date=20 January 2022 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/scientific-funding-is-broken-can-silicon-valley-fix-it/621295/ |title=Silicon Valley's New Obsession |magazine=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Backed by tech entrepreneurs, Arc Institute adds to its scientific ranks |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2023/09/arc-institute-uc-berkeley-stanford-ucsf-ai.html |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=www.bizjournals.com |date=21 September 2023}}</ref>

== Personal life == In June 2022, Konermann married Irish tech billionaire [[Patrick Collison]], the co-founder and CEO of [[Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Roisin |title=Inside Stripe CEO Patrick Collison's family life as he weds childhood sweetheart |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/inside-stripe-ceo-patrick-collisons-27359496 |access-date=20 November 2022 |publisher=Irish Mirror |date=29 June 2022}}</ref> Konermann met Collison at the 2005 [[European Union Contest for Young Scientists| European Union Contest for Young Scientists]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Vox Fast Grants">{{cite news |last1=Piper |first1=Kelsey |title=This new charity offers scientists coronavirus grants in 48 hours |url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/4/21/21228156/coronavirus-fast-grants-tyler-cowen-patrick-collison |work=Vox |date=21 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Google Scholar id|JtlWgmQAAAAJ}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konermann, Silvana}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1988 births]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Stanford University School of Medicine faculty]] [[Category:MIT School of Science alumni]] [[Category:ETH Zurich alumni]] [[Category:American people of Swiss descent]] [[Category:Biochemical engineering]]