Susan Blixt Appleby

Susan Blixt Appleby received a BS in Biotechnology from RIT in 1988. She then worked at the University of Rochester Medical Center as a laboratory research assistant in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology where she studied the effects of steroid use on fetal lung development. She then moved to the American Red Cross Jerome Holland Research Laboratory in Rockville, Maryland. There she established and maintained a DNA sequencing core facility. In addition, her research work included the isolation, sequencing, and initial characterization of the human Cyclooxygenase-2 gene as well as screening novel compounds for their ability to enhance endothelial cell differentiation.

Susan returned to school and earned a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City. Her thesis work was in the world of eukaryotic RNA processing, using the Adenovirus as a model system to study Poly(A) site usage, specifically the upstream enhancing region found near the L3 Poly(A) site. She stayed in the same laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Fellow following up on her graduate research and transitioning from basic research to applied research working on the development of Adenoviral vectors for use in gene therapy. She has retired from academic research and now spends much of her time volunteering with various organizations, including speaking with middle school students, particularly girls, about careers in science. She credits RIT for providing a strong foundation for her career in academic research and continues to support the university as a member of the Sentinel Society. She is currently a member of the RIT Presidents Roundtable where she has served for 10 years.