Trewhella named head of Lab's Biosciences Division

Contact: David Lyons, (505) 665 9198 (00-016)

Recent News Los Alamos scientist named Asian American Engineer of the Year Los Alamos scientist featured in NASA science update Los Alamos muon detector could thwart nuclear smugglers Wojciech H. Zurek named Phi Beta Kappa visiting scholar Four Los Alamos physicists honored by American Physical Society Los Alamos National Laboratory organizations earn seven out of 13 NNSA Pollution Prevention awards Carter Hydrick returns to the Bradbury Science Museum Feb. 15 Laboratory supports summer science program New NASA IBEX mission to carry Los Alamos instrument Beason takes top threat reduction post at Los Alamos

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 27, 2000 -- John Browne, director of the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory, announced Wednesday that he has appointed Jill Trewhella to be the director of the recently formed Bioscience Division. Trewhella has been filling that role in an acting capacity since Oct. 1 when the Division was formed.

"Jill has demonstrated that she has the leadership skills and vision to move B Division forward quickly and with the engagement of division staff," Browne said. "She has worked with members of B Division to form a compelling technical vision and innovative organizational strategies to bring it to fruition.

"Bioscience is a rapidly evolving field, and Jill gives us the leadership we need to ensure we will be major players in the fundamental research areas that are critical to the Lab's ability to respond to national security issues," Browne said.

"I am deeply honored by the confidence John Browne has expressed in me by making this appointment," Trewhella said. "The work we have done in B Division to define ourselves and our direction as an organization has involved many people and I am very appreciative of the input and enthusiasm they have brought to the process. I think we are poised to do great things for this Laboratory and for the nation."

Trewhella is a biophysicist in the field of structural molecular biology with a special focus on understanding signal transduction and regulation in biological systems. She obtained a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Sydney in 1980. After postdoctoral work at Yale University in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, she joined the Laboratory in 1984 to begin a biological neutron scattering program.

In 1995 Trewhella was named Laboratory Fellow in recognition of her sustained outstanding scientific contributions. Also that year she received the Laboratory Fellow's Prize in recognition of important contributions to the understanding of proteins in solution using biophysical measurements.

B Division, formed from Life Sciences and parts of Chemical Science and Technology divisions, integrates research in biology, chemistry, computational sciences and biophysics to address problems of national importance in health and security. The work of the Center for Human Genome Studies continues in B Division.

Trewhella has organized B Division around six main areas of scientific focus: biothreat reduction, structural genomics, complex biosystems modeling, functional genomics, biomedical sensors and biomedical diversity. The leaders of these "thrust" areas coordinate their activities amongst themselves and with resource managers who oversee facilities, staff resources and regulatory compliance.

While informing B Division employees of the selection in a meeting Wednesday afternoon Browne said, "This field of science has so many opportunities right now it is similar to the Golden Age of physics in the '20s and '30s. "I want Los Alamos to be a part of this."

More news releases from the Bioscience (B) Division

More news releases about Organization/Operations

Additional news releases related to Biotechnology/Life Science