Amacher, Pollock named Henry Dreyfus scholars

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation announced their selection of the 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher–Scholars, including American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology members Jeanine Amacher and Julie Pollock. This award is given to early-career scientists in the chemical sciences who demonstrate outstanding research scholarship and a deep commitment to undergraduate education. They each received a $75,000 research grant.

Jeanine Amacher

Jeanine Amacher is an associate professor of biochemistry at Western Washington University. Her lab studies the binding selectivity and specificity of peptide-binding domains. Specifically, she focuses on substrate recognition by bacterial sortases, enzymes that covalently attach proteins to the cell surface; PDZ domains, important scaffolding domains in signaling and trafficking systems; and SH2 and SH3 domains, which are commonly found in tyrosine kinase signaling pathways. Amacher is a member of the ASBMB Today Editorial Advisory Board.

Julie Pollock

Julie Pollock is an associate professor of chemistry and the interdisciplinary program coordinator of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Richmond. Her lab uses chemical biology approaches to understand breast cancer and inflammatory disease development and progression. Specifically, she focuses on nuclear receptor function, phosphorylation signaling pathways and the link between cancer and inflammation. She is also interested in the design of prodrugs to treat these conditions. Pollock has been teaching at the University of Richmond since 2014 and was recognized as a UR Distinguished Educator in 2020.