Inside Duke Medicine

Duke cell biologist Vann Bennett elected to National Academy of Sciences

Vann Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., a James B. Duke Professor of Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He is one of 72 newly elected members of the NAS.

Bennett has discovered and developed the field of ankyrin science. Bennett first uncovered ankyrins, or anchor proteins, in human red blood cells and has continued his studies in many different areas of human health.

"We are enormously proud of Vann Bennett,” said Brigid Hogan, Ph.D., chair of the Duke Department of Cell Biology. “He has made original and groundbreaking research over many years into ankyrins, spectrins and their protein collaborators. This research has taken him from analysis of protein structure and function, through cell biology, to critical physiological processes. He is a tremendous role model for how unwavering fealty to rigorous molecular analysis can yield deep insights into the genetic underpinning of human disease."

Ankyrins assist in attaching other proteins to the fragile cell membrane and have other functions as well. In the case of red blood cells, this anchoring function helps cells resist shearing forces when blood is pumped vigorously. Recent studies have defined new functions for ankyrin molecules, including a muscular-dystrophy model in mice, as ankyrin appears to be significant in helping muscle cells survive the forces of muscle contraction. Bennett’s team found that ankyrins assist in vision, and also found a mutation in the gene encoding ankyrin-B, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

A renowned basic scientist, Bennett was inducted as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences last October. He earned his A.B. in chemistry and biology from Stanford University and his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The NAS is an advisory organization to the president and Congress composed of experts in all scientific fields. The nation’s leaders go to the NAS and the other National Academies for advice on scientific and technological issues that surround policy decisions. The results of these expert deliberations have helped to improve the health and education of people nationwide.