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Nihal Altan-Bonnet

Background Nihal Altan-Bonnet was born in Ankara, Turkey. At the age of 14, she moved to the United States, specifically New York, with her family. Due to her father's work and being a member of the Turkish Foreign Services, Altan- Bonnet had the opportunity to travel to and live in different countries as a child. Her family moved to the US but only stayed for 5 years before returning to Turkey. However, Nihal decided to remain in America as she found interest in pursuing a scientific career due to her mother being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her newfound interest in biomedical research convinced her that she had the possibility of finding a cure for cancer. She now specializes in infectious pathogens and viruses. Nihal indicated in an interview that her husband, who is also a scientist and academic is her biggest supporter while raising her family. She also stated that wise words that her mother embedded in her "to shy away from mediocrity and complacency, and instead to work hard and strive for excellence" drove her to the success story that she is today.

Educational Background Nihal attended United Nations International School in 1986 and matriculated in 1988. It was there that she found her passion for biomedical research. Altan-Bonnet attended Hunter College in the years 1988-1992 where she majored and received Bachelor's degrees in Biology and Chemistry. She immediately sought labs that would provide her with research experiences. She continued persevering throughout the four years and was immediately offered a spot in one of the best institutions for Ph.D. programs. She attended Rockefeller University where she received a Ph.D. in Cellular Biophysics. It was there that she found a professor that fostered her curiosity and willingness to learn. After graduating from Rockefeller, she went on to do post-doctoral training at the National Institutes of Health.

Career Upon graduating from Rockefeller University, Nihal worked as a faculty member, more importantly, an assistant professor at Rutgers University in 2006. She spent 7 years at the institution and left in August 2013. To date, she serves as the Senior Investigator and Head of Lab at the National Institutes of Health where she examines the relationship between viruses and their hosts.

Honors and Awards Nihal received a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, the highest honor given by the US government to outstanding scientists in the early stages of their research career, from President Obama. She has also published over 11,000 articles.

Reference https://wisem.rutgers.edu/altan-bonnet-nihal http://www.tassausa.org/Newsroom/2013/item/1486/A-conversation-with-Nihal-Altan-Bonnet https://www.linkedin.com/in/nihal-altan-bonnet-aa35066/