Victoria Foe

{{short description|American biologist}} {{Infobox academic | honorific_prefix =  | name = Victoria Foe | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1945}} | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | region = | nationality = | citizenship = | residence = | other_names = | occupation = | period = | known_for = | home_town = | title = | boards =  | spouse = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards =  | website = | education = University of Texas at Austin | alma_mater = University of Washington | thesis_title = Activation of transcriptional units during the embryogenesis of Oncopeltus fasciatus | thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27478476 | thesis_year = 1975 | school_tradition = | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | influences =  | era = | discipline = Biology | sub_discipline = Developmental biology | workplaces = University of Washington Center for Cell Dynamics | doctoral_students =  | notable_students =  | main_interests = ''Drosophila'' | notable_works = | notable_ideas = | influenced =  | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | footnotes = }}

'''Victoria Elizabeth Foe''' (born 1945) is an American developmental biologist, and Research Professor at the University of Washington's Center for Cell Dynamics.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://celldynamics.org/celldynamics/people/foe/index.html |title=Victoria Foe |access-date=2010-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126111337/http://www.celldynamics.org/celldynamics/people/foe/index.html |archive-date=2009-11-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She is known for her work on the development of embryos.

== Early life and education == As a child, Foe moved around a lot, living in the United States, Mexico, and England.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/10/science/scientist-at-work-victoria-elizabeth-foe-drawing-big-lessons-from-fly-embryology.html|title=SCIENTIST AT WORK: Victoria Elizabeth Foe; Drawing Big Lessons From Fly Embryology|last=Angier|first=Natalie|date=August 10, 1993|website=NY Times|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> Foe has a B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin (1966).<ref name=":1" /> She then earned a Ph.D. from University of Texas at Austin, where she started working with Hugh Forrest<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Victoria Foe - University of Washington|url=https://www.biology.washington.edu/people/profile/victoria-foe|access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> and then finished at the University of Washington, where she studied with Charles Laird.<ref>{{Cite thesis|title=Activation of transcriptional units during the embryogenesis of Oncopeltus fasciatus|publisher=[publisher not identified]|date=1975|place=Austin, Tex.|language=English|first=Victoria Elizabeth|last=Foe|oclc = 27478476}}</ref> Her postdoctoral work was with Bruce Alberts at the University of California in San Francisco.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Victoria Foe|url=http://celldynamics.org/celldynamics/people/foe/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=celldynamics.org}}</ref>

== Career == Foe joined the zoology department at the University of Washington in 1991.<ref name=":2" /> Foe is a founding member of the Center of Cell Dynamics at Friday Harbor Laboratories, within the University of Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biology.washington.edu/people/profile/victoria-foe|title=Victoria Foe|last=|first=|date=|website=University of Washington|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> She has not taught or gone down the traditional path of mentoring young scientists, not wanting to get caught up in administrative duties as a professor. Nor has she let technicians or students work for her in research.<ref name=":0" /> As of 2021, Foe is professor emeritus at the University of Washington.<ref name=":2" />

== Research == Foe works with frogs, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and fish to examine the growth and patterning of embryos. She describes her work as largely observational, but utilizes recent scientific techniques to explore her observations of the natural world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.utexas.edu/2010/07/19/extraordinary-exes-justin-dart-and-victoria-foe/|title=Extraordinary Exes: Justin Dart and Victoria Foe|last=Smith|first=Marjorie|date=July 19, 2010|website=UT News|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> Her work on ''Drosophila'' was supported by an independent supporting grant, by the National Institutes of Health.<ref name=":0" /> Foe is best known for her research defining how groups of cells in embryos divide at different rates and thereby develop into different body parts.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Foe |first1=V.E. |title=Mitotic domains reveal early commitment of cells in Drosophila embryos |journal=Development |date=1 September 1989 |volume=107 |issue=1 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.1242/dev.107.1.1 |pmid=2516798 |url=https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.107.1.1 |issn=0950-1991|url-access=subscription }}</ref> She has also worked on the formation of furrows during development of cells, through both visual observations<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Foe|first1=Victoria E.|last2=von Dassow|first2=George|date=2008-10-27|title=Stable and dynamic microtubules coordinately shape the myosin activation zone during cytokinetic furrow formation|url=https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200807128|journal=Journal of Cell Biology|volume=183|issue=3|pages=457–470|doi=10.1083/jcb.200807128|issn=0021-9525|pmc=2575787|pmid=18955555}}</ref> and modelling research.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Odell|first1=Garrett M.|last2=Foe|first2=Victoria E.|date=2008-10-27|title=An agent-based model contrasts opposite effects of dynamic and stable microtubules on cleavage furrow positioning|url=https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200807129|journal=Journal of Cell Biology|volume=183|issue=3|pages=471–483|doi=10.1083/jcb.200807129|issn=0021-9525|pmc=2575788|pmid=18955556}}</ref>

== Selected publications == *{{cite journal |last1=Foe |first1=V.E. |last2=Alberts |first2=B.M. |title=Studies of nuclear and cytoplasmic behaviour during the five mitotic cycles that precede gastrulation in Drosophila embryogenesis |journal=Journal of Cell Science |date=1 May 1983 |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=31–70 |doi=10.1242/jcs.61.1.31 |pmid=6411748 |url=https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.61.1.31 |issn=0021-9533|url-access=subscription }} *{{cite journal |last1=Foe |first1=V.E. |title=Mitotic domains reveal early commitment of cells in Drosophila embryos |journal=Development |date=1 September 1989 |volume=107 |issue=1 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.1242/dev.107.1.1 |pmid=2516798 |url=https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.107.1.1 |issn=0950-1991|url-access=subscription }} *{{cite journal |last1=Foe |first1=Victoria E. |last2=von Dassow |first2=George |title=Stable and dynamic microtubules coordinately shape the myosin activation zone during cytokinetic furrow formation |journal=Journal of Cell Biology |date=27 October 2008 |volume=183 |issue=3 |pages=457–470 |doi=10.1083/jcb.200807128 |pmid=18955555 |pmc=2575787 |url=https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200807128 |issn=0021-9525}} *{{cite journal |last1=Foe |first1=Victoria E. |last2=Wilkinson |first2=Linda E. |last3=Laird |first3=Charles D. |title=Comparative organization of active transcription units in Oncopeltus fasciatus |journal=Cell |date=1 September 1976 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=131–146 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(76)90059-3 |pmid=975237 |s2cid=46017400 |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(76)90059-3 |language=English |issn=0092-8674|url-access=subscription }}

==Awards== In 1990, Foe was named a Guggenheim fellow.<ref>{{Cite web|title=John Simon Guggenheim Foundation {{!}} Victoria E. Foe|url=https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/victoria-e-foe/|access-date=2021-11-29|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1993, at the age of 34, Foe won a McArthur Genius Grant for her work in cell and developmental biology.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=July 1, 1993|title=Victoria E. Foe|url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/158/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 8, 2019|website=MacArthur Foundation}}</ref>

== Activism == Foe is an activist and scientist. She was involved in the women's movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the anti-Persian Gulf War movement.<ref name=":0" /> As a student at the University of Texas in 1968, she worked to connect students with doctors willing to prescribe contraceptives to students<ref>{{Cite web|last=Al-Agba|first=Niran|date=July 9, 2021|title=The march toward keeping the government out of your bedroom|url=https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2021/07/09/niran-al-agba-lets-talk-sex-under-eyes-law/7906023002/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=Kitsap Sun|language=en-US}}</ref> and to perform abortions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roy|first=Kaushiki|date=October 8, 2021|title=Activists around Texas protest restrictive abortion bill|url=https://thedailytexan.com/2021/10/08/activists-around-texas-protest-restrictive-abortion-bill/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=The Daily Texan}}</ref> She took a break from her schooling at the University of Texas at Austin to take a position as political aide. While acting as a political aid, she helped overturn the anti-abortion legislation in the state of Texas.<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life == She was married Michael Dennis, a neurophysiologist. They later divorced.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://theragblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/exposing-lies-about-canadian-health.html "Common Myths About the Canadian Health Care System Exposed"], Victoria Foe, ''The Rag Blog'', August 5, 2009

*[https://aeon.co/essays/far-from-junk-the-clock-in-our-dna-and-its-discoverer "The clock in our genes"], long profile and essay on Victoria Foe's unusual career path and her discoveries. Aeon (magazine), 24 March 2026 {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foe, Victoria}} Category:1945 births Category:20th-century American biologists Category:University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences alumni Category:University of Washington alumni Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Living people Category:American developmental biologists Category:21st-century American biologists Category:21st-century American women biologists Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:University of Washington faculty Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:American women academics Category:20th-century American women biologists