Carrie Partch, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, is among 26 top scientists chosen by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to be HHMI investigators and receive the support needed to move their research in creative new directions and make groundbreaking discoveries.
HHMI investigators are widely recognized for their creativity and research accomplishments, and the Investigator Program provides flexible, long-term support for more than 250 investigators and members of their research teams. Each new HHMI investigator will receive roughly $11 million in support over a seven-year term, which is renewable indefinitely pending a successful scientific review. This support includes their full salary and benefits, a generous research budget, scientific equipment, and additional resources.
Guided by the principle of investing in “people, not projects,” HHMI provides investigators with the time and resources they need to go where their science leads, HHMI Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Leslie Vosshall stated in today's announcement.
Rhythms of life
A member of UC Santa Cruz’s faculty since 2011, Partch has been recognized many times over for her contributions to the molecular understanding of circadian rhythms: by the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms in 2016, the Biophysical Society in 2017, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2022. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles on research and reviews.
“Across the planet, behavior and physiology are coordinated into daily rhythms that align our lives to the rotation of the Earth,” Partch said. “These circadian rhythms are generated at the cellular level, where they promote health and wellbeing by integrating cellular function across an organism.”
Her lab strives to understand the molecular basis of circadian timekeeping by studying the structure, dynamics, and interactions of dedicated clock proteins. The conservation of some protein folds in clocks, like the PAS domain, offers a chance to harness their small molecule binding properties to control clocks with drugs. Partch’s lab aims to build on a molecular understanding of biological clocks to develop innovative strategies to treat a broad spectrum of human diseases.
In the classroom, Partch has taught over 1,000 students in the BIOC 100 biochemistry and molecular biology series, many of whom still keep in touch with her after graduation or entering medical school. Partch also designed a graduate course on grant writing in biomedical science (CHEM 230) that helped students apply for fellowships from the NIH, bringing in almost $2 million in funding and helping to catalyze their careers.
The 26 new HHMI investigators come from 19 U.S. institutions and join HHMI’s current Investigator community, comprising more than 250 scientists in fields ranging from neuroscience to immunology to structural biology. HHMI will invest more than $300 million in this newest cohort over the next seven years, enabling each investigator to push the boundaries of science.
Powerful mentors
HHMI selects investigators through a national open competition, which includes evaluation by an advisory panel of leading scientists as well as HHMI scientific leadership. Nearly 1,000 eligible scientists submitted applications during the competition. This year’s evaluation included a focus on research culture and mentoring, and highlighted individuals’ efforts to make science open and accessible to all.
“When scientists create environments in which others can thrive, we all benefit,” says HHMI President Erin O’Shea. “These newest HHMI investigators are extraordinary, not only because of their outstanding research endeavors but also because they mentor and empower the next generation of scientists to work alongside them at the cutting edge.”
Partch is the only current HHMI investigator at UC Santa Cruz. David Haussler, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering, was an HHMI investigator from 2000 to 2022, and Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, was an investigator from 2018 to 2024. Yishi Jin, a former faculty member in the Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology Department, was an investigator from 2001 to 2017.
To date, 34 current or former HHMI scientists have won the Nobel Prize – most recently, Carolyn Bertozzi in 2022 for the development of click chemistry and biorthogonal chemistry. HHMI investigators have long made significant contributions across many research areas, including biochemistry, molecular biology, plant sciences, cancer biology, cell biology and many other scientific disciplines.
Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Md., HHMI is the largest private biomedical research institution in the nation. Its scientists make discoveries that advance human health and our fundamental understanding of biology. More information about HHMI’s Investigator Program can be found online.
