Heidi Hamm

Heidi Elizabeth Hamm
Born	(1950-08-26) August 26, 1950 (age 74)
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin Atlantic Union College University of Florence
Scientific career
Institutions	Northwestern University School of Medicine University of Illinois Chicago Indiana University Bloomington University of Wisconsin–Madison Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Thesis	Circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis in the avian retina  (1980)

Heidi Elizabeth Hamm (born August 26, 1950) is an American pharmacologist who is a professor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research looks to understand the molecular mechanisms that underpin G proteins. She was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2025.

Early life and education

Hamm was born in Loma Linda, California. ^[1] She studied modern languages at Atlantic Union College, and spent a year in Italy learning biology at the University of Florence. She returned to the United States in 1976, where she started a PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. Her doctoral research considered the avian retina. ^[2] She explored the circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis with Michael Menaker. ^[3] She moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for postdoctoral research. ^[4]

Research and career

Hamm joined Indiana University Bloomington, where she spent a year as an Assistant Professor in Visual Science.^{[ citation needed ]} She moved to the University of Illinois Chicago, where she was made an Assistant Professor in 1984, Associate Professor in 1990 and full Professor in 1994. She was named the 1996 Illinois Faculty of the Year. ^[5] In 1996, Hamm joined the Northwestern University School of Medicine, where she worked in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry and Ophthalmology. She moved to Vanderbilt University in 2001. ^[2] In 2000, she was made Head of Pharmacology. ^[5]

Hamm investigates G proteins. Normally, these proteins are inactive, but can be activated by a signal and produce messengers (e.g. cyclic AMP). G protein-mediated signalling cascades underpin a broad range of processes, including cell division, and the mediation of neurotransmitter signalling. ^[6] Hamm is interested in G protein activation, function and switch-off. By decomposing proteins into small synthetic peptides, and studying which block interaction sites, Hamm showed where interaction occurred on the proteins. ^[7] She worked with Paul Sigler, using x-ray measurements to solve the crystal structure of active and inactive G proteins. ^[6] G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs) are targeted by more than half of drugs, and better understanding their activity open the door to new drugs for diverse diseases and disorders. ^[8]

Awards and honors

• 2006 Elected President of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ^{[9] [10]}
• 2011 Elected Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science ^[8]
• 2012 Dutch Pharmacological Society Ariens Award ^[11]
• 2015 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Robert R. Ruffolo Career Achievement Award ^[12]
• 2025 Elected Fellow National Academy of Sciences ^[13]

Selected publications

• H. E. Hamm (9 January 1998). "The many faces of G protein signaling" (PDF). Journal of Biological Chemistry . 273 (2): 669–672. doi: 10.1074/JBC.273.2.669 . ISSN   0021-9258. PMID   9422713. Wikidata   Q28608944.
• William M Oldham; Heidi E Hamm (1 January 2008). "Heterotrimeric G protein activation by G-protein-coupled receptors". Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology . 9 (1): 60–71. doi:10.1038/NRM2299. ISSN   1471-0072. PMID   18043707. Wikidata   Q37017125.
• D G Lambright; J Sondek; A Bohm; N P Skiba; H E Hamm; P B Sigler (25 January 1996). "The 2.0 A crystal structure of a heterotrimeric G protein". Nature . 379 (6563): 311–9. doi:10.1038/379311A0. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   8552184. Wikidata   Q27732250.

References

1. "Heidi Hamm". Vanderbilt University. 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
2. "Circadian rhythms of melatonin synthesis in the avian retina | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
3. Hamm, Heidi E.; Menaker, Michael (1981). "Pineal and Retinal Serotonin N-Acetyltransferase Activity: Modulation by Phosphate" . Journal of Neurochemistry. 37 (6): 1567–1572. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1981.tb06328.x. ISSN   1471-4159. PMID   7334376.
4. "Heidi Hamm". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
5. "Hamm named to lead VUMC Pharmacology department". VUMC News. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
6. "Heidi E. Hamm, Ph.D." Vanderbilt University. 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
7. Hamm, Heidi E.; Deretic, Dusanka; Arendt, Anatol; Hargrave, Paul A.; Koenig, Bernd; Hofmann, Klaus P. (1988-08-12). "Site of G Protein Binding to Rhodopsin Mapped with Synthetic Peptides from the α Subunit" . Science. 241 (4867): 832–835. Bibcode:1988Sci...241..832H. doi:10.1126/science.3136547. PMID   3136547.
8. "AAAS Members Elected as Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
9. "Biochemistry group tabs Hamm as president-elect". VUMC News. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
10. "Past presidents". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
11. Snyder, Bill (2012-10-25). "Hamm's research honored by Dutch pharmacology society". VUMC News. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
12. Snyder, Bill (2015-01-15). "VUMC investigators honored by ASPET". VUMC News. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
13. Snyder, Bill (2025-05-08). "Heidi Hamm, Eric Skaar elected members of the National Academy of Sciences". VUMC News. Retrieved 2025-05-13.