Susan Hockfield

Susan Hockfield
Name	Susan Hockfield
Birth date	24 March 1951
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Fields	Neuroscience
Workplaces	University of California, San Francisco, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alma mater	University of Rochester
Doctoral advisor	Robert B. Chronister
Known for	Discovery of neuromodulin, First life scientist and first woman to lead MIT
Awards	Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, Wilbur Cross Medal

Susan Hockfield is an American neuroscientist and academic administrator who served as the sixteenth president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2004 to 2012. She was the first life scientist and the first woman to hold the presidency of MIT. Her research in neurobiology focused on glial cells and the development of the mammalian brain, notably leading to the discovery of the growth-associated protein neuromodulin.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Hockfield developed an early interest in biology. She pursued her undergraduate education at the University of Rochester, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1973. She continued her graduate studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in anatomy and neuroscience in 1979. Her doctoral research, conducted under advisor Robert B. Chronister, investigated the organization of the rat brainstem.

Academic career

Following her postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco, Hockfield joined the faculty at Yale University in 1985. She was appointed a professor of neurobiology at the Yale School of Medicine and later held the William Edward Gilbert Professorship. Her administrative career began at Yale when she was named dean of the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1998. In 2002, she was appointed provost of Yale University, becoming the first individual from the sciences to hold that position and serving under President Richard C. Levin.

Presidency of MIT

Hockfield assumed the presidency of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on December 6, 2004, succeeding Charles M. Vest. Her tenure was marked by a focus on bridging engineering and the life sciences, encapsulated in initiatives like the MIT Energy Initiative and the creation of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She championed global engagement, strengthening ties with institutions like the National University of Singapore through the Singapore-MIT Alliance. Hockfield also oversaw the expansion of MIT's Kendall Square neighborhood and advocated for increased federal funding for scientific research, testifying before the United States Congress.

Research and scientific contributions

Hockfield's laboratory research centered on the molecular mechanisms underlying brain development and plasticity. A seminal contribution was her identification and cloning of neuromodulin, also known as GAP-43, a protein crucial for neuronal growth and synapse formation during development and following injury. Her work helped establish the importance of glial cells in the central nervous system and advanced understanding of brain tumor biology, particularly glioblastoma. Her research has been published in leading journals such as *Science* and *PNAS*.

Later career and board service

After stepping down from the MIT presidency in 2012, Hockfield has held prominent roles in corporate and academic governance. She served as the president emerita and a professor of neuroscience at MIT. She is a member of the Board of Directors of General Electric and Bristol Myers Squibb, and previously served on the board of Cigna. In the non-profit sector, she has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Council on Foreign Relations. She also served as the chair of the AAAS Committee on Science, Technology, and National Security.

Awards and honors

Hockfield has received numerous accolades for her leadership and scientific work. These include the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement and the Wilbur Cross Medal from the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association. She holds honorary doctorates from institutions such as Brown University, the University of Rochester, and the University of Edinburgh. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

Category:American neuroscientists Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty Category:Presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Category:Yale University faculty Category:1951 births Category:Living people