{{Short description|American molecular biologist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Susan Thomas Lovett | birth_place = Rochester, New York | workplaces = Brandeis University <br> Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | alma_mater = Cornell University <br> University of California, Berkeley | thesis_title = The recJ gene of Escherichia coli | thesis_url = http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/905884470 | thesis_year = 1983 }} '''Susan Thomas Lovett''' is an American molecular biologist who is the Abraham S. and Gertrude Burg Professor of Microbiology at Brandeis University. She is interested in the mechanisms that allow the genetic material in cells to remain stable over time.
== Early life and education == Lovett was born in Rochester, New York.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Susan T. Lovett|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/20049472.html|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.nasonline.org}}</ref> She spent her childhood in Virginia and Ohio.<ref name=":0"/> Lovett was an undergraduate student at Cornell University.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Susan Lovett {{!}} Brandeis University|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=ab9274dcb674212bfb1d2d0706556a35446f593f|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.brandeis.edu}}</ref> She moved to the University of California, Berkeley for her doctoral research, where she investigated ''Escherichia coli''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lovett|first=Susan Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S5xHAQAAMAAJ|title=The recJ gene of Escherichia coli|date=1983|language=English|oclc=905884470}}</ref> She was a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.<ref name=":0"/>
== Research and career == Lovett joined Brandeis University in 1989.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Professors Anita Hill and Susan Lovett elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2020/april/aaas-hill-lovett-election.html|access-date=2021-12-28|website=BrandeisNOW|language=en}}</ref> She is a molecular biologist who studies the mechanisms that underpin DNA repair. In particular, Lovett has studied how cells protect their genetic information and avoid genetic mutation. These strategies help to tackle cancer and prevent cells from ageing. She has worked on the model organism ''Escherichia coli'' since the beginning of her career, and identified a secondary DNA damage response that is independent of the well-documented SOS response.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|title=EcoSal Plus|url=https://journals.asm.org/doi/abs/10.1128/ecosalplus?publicationCode=ecosalplus|access-date=2021-12-28|website=EcoSal Plus|year = 2020|doi = 10.1128/ecosalplus|language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Lovett identified many of the enzymes involves with DNA repair, including the post-transcriptional regulatory protein IraD, the ExoX and RecJ exonucleases, the Eubacterial protein RadA/Sms and the DNA helicase YoaA.<ref name=":3"/>
Amongst the repair mechanisms, Lovett has studied mutagenesis at the replication fork and how it coordinates with cellular cycles. She identified a GTPase proteins that couples cellular division with events at the replication fork. She has shown that chain-terminating drugs can be used, for example the AIDS drug, azidothymadine) to accumulate replication gaps, and that cellular nutrition impacts replication and repair.<ref name=":2"/>
Lovett has investigated the mutational hotspots that occur when strands of DNA do not align during the replication processes. Aberrant replication results in the rearrangement of DNA, which impacts the formation of mutational hotspots and exonuclease.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Susan Lovett|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/biology/faculty/lovett-susan.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/BzElV| archive-date=2021-12-28|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.brandeis.edu|language=en}}</ref>
From 2006 to 2010, Lovett taught on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory course in Advanced Bacterial Genetics.<ref name=":0"/>
== Awards and honors == * 2006 Elected Fellow of the American Society for Microbiology<ref name=":1" /> * 2008 Appointed to the Board of Directors of the Genetics Society of America<ref>{{Cite web|title=Genetics Society of America Announces 2011 Board Members|url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/genetics-society-of-america-announces-2011-board-members| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.newswise.com/articles/genetics-society-of-america-announces-2011-board-members| archive-date=2021-12-28|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.newswise.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> * 2013 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science<ref>{{Cite web|title=AAAS Members Elected as Fellows {{!}} American Association for the Advancement of Science|url=https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-members-elected-fellows-1| url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209123815/https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-members-elected-fellows-1| archive-date=2021-12-09|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.aaas.org|language=en}}</ref> * 2017 Brandeis University Dean of Arts and Sciences Service Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=School of Arts & Sciences Faculty Service Award|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/arts-sciences/faculty/teaching-awards/fac-service.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228212347/https://www.brandeis.edu/arts-sciences/faculty/teaching-awards/fac-service.html| archive-date=2021-12-28|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.brandeis.edu|language=en}}</ref> * 2020 Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences<ref name=":2"/> * 2021 Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences<ref>{{Cite web|title=Susan Lovett elected to National Academy of Sciences|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2021/april/susan-lovett-aaas.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228212355/https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2021/april/susan-lovett-aaas.html| archive-date=2021-12-28|access-date=2021-12-28|website=BrandeisNOW|language=en}}</ref>
== Selected publications == * {{Cite Q|Q33780274}} * {{Cite Q|Q33849909}} * {{Cite Q|Q37096065}}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lovett, Susan}}
Category:Cornell University alumni Category:American molecular biologists Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:Brandeis University faculty Category:Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science