Harvard Club of Northeast Ohio

Exploring the Molecular World

with MIT Professor Cathy L. Drennan

How can scientists see something as small as the atoms that make up a protein?

And what can the shapes of these molecules tell us about how life works?

The MIT Club of Northeast Ohio has kindly invited us to join them in exploring these questions with Professor Cathy L. Drennan, a professor in MIT’s Departments of Biology and Chemistry and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Professor Drennan will share how her research uses biophysical methods to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins at the atomic level—helping scientists understand how proteins perform the essential work that allows cells to survive.

Professor Drennan will also share the personal journey that led her to science. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, she learned to read in part by recognizing and memorizing the shapes of words. Today, those same shape-recognition abilities play an important role in her work investigating the structures and functions of molecules.

Designed for a general audience, this presentation combines cutting-edge science with a personal story of curiosity, perseverance, and discovery, offering a fascinating look at how scientists explore a world too small for us to see.