On Jan. 25, Shady Side Academy alumnus Dr. James Haber '61, a highly accomplished scientist on the faculty of Brandeis University, visited Dr. Jill Schumacher's Science Research Seminar class at the Senior School virtually via Zoom.
The 16 juniors in the advanced science course had been reading one of Dr. Haber's research papers in class, not realizing it was authored by an SSA alum, and the virtual visit gave them the opportunity to ask him questions directly about his research.
Dr. Haber is the Abraham and Etta Goodman Professor of Biology and Director of the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center at Brandeis University. He has focused his research on genome instability, especially the repair of chromosome double-strand DNA breaks and the role of DNA damage checkpoints. In 2011 he received the Genetics Society of America’s Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Genetics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He serves as a representative of the Genetics Society of America to the Coalition of Life Sciences. He holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
SSA's Science Research Seminar course for juniors focuses on advancing research skills such as the reading of primary scientific literature, data analysis, scientific ethics and science communication skills. After completing the yearlong course, students are placed in collaborating research laboratories at universities for summer research internships to assist with real-world research.
Thank you Dr. Haber, for sharing your expertise with our students!