Holford, Mandë
- Overview
- Curriculum Vitae
Assistant Professor
Chemistry
Phone: 718-262-5134
Office Location: AC-3F01A
mholford@york.cuny.edu
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- Education:
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Degree Institution Field Dates PhD Rockefeller University Synthetic Protein Chemistry 1997-2003 BS York College, City University of New York Mathematics and Chemistry 1993-1997
Mandë Holford is an Assistant Professor in Chemistry at The City University of New York –York College and CUNY Graduate Center, with a scientific appointment at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Holford’s research is at the forefront of Biological and Chemical Diversity - pioneering an integrated approach to biodiversity science in order to address issues involving evolutionary biology, gene expression and function. Specifically, her group is focused on reconstructing the evolutionary history of venomous marine gastropods (cone snails, terebrids, and turrids), and investigating their toxins as biochemical tools (ligands) for characterizing cellular communication in the nervous system and as potential drug development targets. The main goals of her research program for the next 3-5 years will be to: 1. Document and understand the biodiversity and phylogeny of the Terebridae in the superfamily Conoidea. 2. Synthesize and characterize novel terebrid and turrid toxins, and the genes that encode them, in order to identify specific ligands for ion channels and receptors in the nervous system. And 3. Collaborate with the existing expertise in York’s Chemistry department and at the American Museum of Natural History to characterize bioactive compounds from other venomous organisms such as scorpions, spiders, snakes, and wasps.
Dr. Holford received her PhD in Synthetic Protein Chemistry from The Rockefeller University, and was awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship from 2006-2008. She is an inaugural member of the World Academy of Young Scientist (WAYS), an organization sponsored by UNESCO and The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). She is also on the Advisory Committee for Term Members of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Junior Council at the American Museum of Natural History. In addition she is a member of AAAS, the Protein Society, and the New York Academy of Sciences.
In the area of International Science Policy, Dr. Holford was awarded an 2004-2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, where she applied her scientific expertise to the development and execution of the National Science Foundation (NSF) granting programs in the Office of International Science and Engineering. During her AAAS Fellowship year Dr. Holford developed, maintained and coordinated scientific policy and relationships in the Nordic and Central America regions. Notably, she designed and implemented a strategic regional workshop in Central America, “Cybertools for Biodiversity (Jan. 2006, Panama)” uniting scientists, practitioners, policy-makers, and funding agency representatives from the U.S. and Central America to examine the ways in which emerging cyberinfrastructure technologies could be applied to collaborative international biodiversity research.
- Areas of Expertise:
- Discovery and characterization of neuroactive peptides
Characterization of ion channels and receptors
Evolution, gene expression and function
- Articles in Field Of Expertise:
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Holford, M, Puillandre, N, Terryn, Y, Cruaud, C, Olivera, BM, Bouchet, P. "Evolution of the Toxoglossa Venom Apparatus as Inferred by Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae." Molecular Biology and Evolution. 26 2009: 15-25.
Holford, M, Zhang, M, Catlin, P, Azam, L, K. Hanuman, G., Green, BR, Watkins, M, Ownby, JP, Yoshikami, D, Bulaj, G, Olivera, BM. "Pruning Nature: Biodiversity-Derived Discovery of Novel Sodium Channel-Blocking Conotoxin from Conus bullatus." Toxicon. 53 2009: 90-98.
Terryn, Y, and Holford, M. "The Terebridae of the Vanuatu Archipelago with a Revision of the Genus Granuliterebra Oyama 1961, the Description of a New Genus and a Three New Species." Visaya. Supplement 3 December 2008: .
Minakhin L, Camarero JA, Holford M, Parker C, Muir TW, Severinov K. "Mapping the molecular interface between the sigma (70) subunit of E. coli RNA polymerase and T4 AsiA." Journal of Molecular Biology. 306 March 2001: 631-642.
Huse M, Holford MN, Kuriyan J, Muir TW. "Semisynthesis of hyperphosphorylated type I TGF Beta receptor: Addressing the mechanism of kinase activation." Journal of the American Chemical Society. 122 August 2000: 8337-8338.
Ayers B, Blaschke UK, Camarero JA, Cotton GJ, Holford M, Muir TW. "Introduction of unnatural amino acids into proteins using expressed protein ligation." Biopolymers. 51 1999: 343-354.
Holford MN, Muir TW. "Adding 'splice' to protein engineering." Structure. 6 August 1998: 951-956.
- Presented Papers, Lectures, and Exhibitions and Performances:
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" Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae and Evolution of the Venom Apparatus " 2009: Gordon Research Conference.
" Bridge to the Doctorate session " 2009: Joint Annual Meeting Innovation and Leadership through a diverse STEM workforce.
" Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae and Evolution of the Venom Apparatus " October 2008: Caribbean Academy of Sciences 16th General Meeting and Biennial Conference.
" Evolution of the Venom Apparatus as Inferred by the Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae " Sept. 2008: European Malacology Conference.
" Tag-Team Approach: Mitochondrial DNA and Morphological Assessment of Vietnamese Freshwater Gastropods (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) " July 2007: World Malacology Conference.
" Exogenomic Discovery of Novel Channel Blocking Conotoxins from Conus bullatus " June 2007: American Peptide Society Symposium.
- Professional Honors, Prizes, Fellowships:
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Carl Storm Fellowship; Principal Investigator: April 2009.
NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship (#0610202); Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation Award http://nsfdiscoverycorps.org/current/holford.html: 2006-2008.
Kluge Fellowship; awarded for support of graduate research: 1998-2002.
NIH-Minority Biomedical Research Support Fellowship; awarded as stipend for three years of undergraduate research: 1994-1997.
- Grants-In-Aid:
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NIH-MBRS SC2, Principal Investigator. 2009-2011: .
NSF-Chemistry Professional Development Fund, Principal Investigator. 2009-2010: .
PSC-CUNY, Principal Investigator. July 2009: .
Richard Lounsbery Foundation-Symposium Grant, Principal Investigator. February 2009: .
NSF-ITEST (#0423417), Co-Principal Investigator, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)-ITEST award. 2005-2008: .
- Other Professional Activities and Public Service:
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National Science Foundation Panel Review Member: April 2009.
American Association for the Advancement of Science 2009 Annual Meeting (Chicago, Ill) Session organizer. Co-Chair of panel discussion “New Tools in Diplomacy: Environmental Change, Conservation, and Conflict.” Paid for with funds from the Richard Lounsbery award and York Travel Grant: February 2009.
National Council for Science and the Environment Annual Conference: Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World (Washington DC) Session organizer. Co-Chair of Panel discussion “Environmental Change, Conservation, and Conflict.”: December 2008.
Council on Foreign Relations- Term Member: 2006-Present.
