By Duke Medicine News and Communications

DURHAM, N.C. -- Jane S. Richardson, James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine. She was one of 65 new members announced by the institute on Monday.

Institute president Harvey V. Fineberg said members are elected "through a highly selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health."

Richardson, who works alongside her husband, biochemist David C. Richardson, is primarily focused on studying the 3-dimensional structures of proteins and RNA, two critical molecules within cells that affect how cells function. Earlier this year, Richardson and colleagues made a significant discovery about small motions inside proteins that lead to much larger changes at the surface, where they affect interactions with other molecules. This adds to a deeper understanding of the basics of protein structure, function and evolution and could provide a helpful step toward the construction of man-made proteins to treat a wide array of diseases.

Richardson is one of a handful of individuals who has excelled in the sciences without holding a Ph.D.; she earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Swarthmore College. In 1985, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for her "ribbon" schematic drawings of protein structure. The ribbon drawings have become the basis for widely-used computer-generated renderings of protein structure.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, is known as a forum for independent analysis of issues related to human health. With their election, members make a commitment to volunteer on institute study committees. In addition to the 65 new members announced Monday, the institute also elected five new foreign associates. Total IOM membership is now 1,651.