Draft:Virginia Papaioannou

Dr. Virginia E. Papaioannou is a developmental biologist, recognized for her groundbreaking work in mammalian genetics. She is a Special Lecturer and Professor Emerita in the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Papaioannou earned her BS in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis in 1968 and her PhD in Genetics from Cambridge University in 1972. Throughout her career, she has focused on the genetic control of early mammalian development, from the first cleavage of the fertilized zygote through implantation, gastrulation, and early organogenesis. Her laboratory, which closed in 2017 following her retirement, was renowned for combining classic experimental embryology techniques with molecular biology and targeted mutagenesis.

Papaioannou has extensively studied the T-box gene family, which plays a crucial role in mesoderm formation and organogenesis. Her research led to significant insights into developmental birth defects, producing mouse models for human syndromes such as DiGeorge syndrome (TBX1) and ulnar mammary syndrome (TBX3). Her work has been important for understanding how these genes control cell fate and tissue specification during early development.

She has served on numerous national and international committees, including the NIH Knockout Mouse Project Panel and the NIH Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program. Her contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the NIH MERIT award and the Dean's Distinguished Lecture in the Basic Sciences at Columbia University.