The MacArthur Foundation recently announced its Genius Grants for 2007. Among the 24 winners was 1985 'Iolani alumna Dr. Cheryl Hayashi.
After graduating from 'Iolani, Dr. Hayashi attended Yale where she earned her undergraduate degree as well as her Masters and Pd.D.
She is now a professor at the University of California Riverside where she is a spider silk biologist working to reveal the architecture, properties, and function of spider silks and the possibilities of developing new synthetic materials.
She, like the other winners, received a phone call from the Foundation with news of $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Hayashi commented, "I was completely surprised and shocked to learn that I had been named a MacArthur Fellow. I had no idea that anyone outside the tiny, highly-specialized community of spider silk researchers knew about the work done by me and my lab.
"The publicity has died down and I finally have time to reflect on the fellowship. Of course, the professional recognition and monetary award are wonderful. However, I did not anticipate how moved I would be by the response from my family, friends, and, especially, former teachers. I have been truly touched by the warm congratulations that I have received from the Iolani family.
"It was so very meaningful to hear from Mr. Kay, the teacher who first opened my eyes to the excitement of biological research. Iolani prepared me well for college, graduate school, and life in general. I thank all my teachers for instilling me with a lifelong love of learning. Iolani One Team."
Other winners included a biomedical scientist, a blues musician, a forensic anthropologist, an inventor, and a medieval historian. All were selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future. The foundation“supports highly creative individuals and institutions with the ability and the promise to make a difference in shaping and improving our future,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton.
“These new MacArthur Fellows, extraordinary men and women of all ages and in many fields, honor and inspire us with their talent, their courage, and their deep commitment. With the gift of time and unfettered opportunity to create and explore, we are confident that the Fellows will follow their hearts and their minds wherever they lead, making new discoveries and making a difference in the world.”
According to Dr. Hayashi's biography at Riverside, "Spider silks are among the most diverse and interesting of animal structural proteins. The large variety of silk types results from a multitude of uses, both within and between species. In addition to the huge diversity of spider taxa (they are one of the most species-rich of major animal groups), each individual produces as many as six or seven distinct varieties of silk from a battery of specialized glands.
"The different silks serve different purposes, ranging from web construction and prey capture to courtship and nest-building. The mechanical properties of silk -- elasticity, tensile properties, breaking strength, etc. -- are ultimately dependent on the sequence of amino acids that form silk proteins.
"Dr. Hayashi is interested in spider silks across many levels of biological integration, from the molecular genetics and evolution of the various silk genes to analyses of the protein sequences of different types of silk to biomechanical testing of the functional properties of the final product. Because of the unusually tight linkage between silk gene DNA sequences and functional ecology, these studies have easily understood connections to ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary questions.
"Dr. Hayashi participates in the Evolutionary Biology and Physiology tracks within the EEOB Graduate Program, as well as the Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology and Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Programs."
Read the nice Rod Ohira Advertiser story here:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709260409
Dr. Hayashi went on National Public Radio to respond to questions about her work:
