Karen Fleming Explained

Karen G. Fleming
Birth Name:Karen Renee Gibson
Alma Mater:Georgetown University
University of Notre Dame
Thesis Title:Expression of dopamine beta-hydroxylase in drosophila Schneider 2 cells : evidence for a mechanism of membrane binding other than uncleaved signal peptide
Thesis Url:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/30374476
Thesis Year:1983
Workplaces:Johns Hopkins University
Website:Fleming Lab

Karen Renee Gibson Fleming is a Professor of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. She investigates the energetics of transmembrane helix-helix interactions. Fleming was awarded the 2020 Protein Society Carl Brändén Award.

Early life and education

Fleming grew up in a family of doctors and nurses, and decided to study medicine at university.[1] She eventually studied French and pre-medical studies at the University of Notre Dame.[2] She realised that she did not like blood, so moved into scientific research instead. After graduating Fleming attended the Catholic University of the West, where she studied French language and culture, before moving to Washington, D.C. to work at the Embassy of Morocco. Fleming missed scientific research, and decided to work toward a doctorate at Georgetown University. Her PhD focussed on molecular biology and during her research she became increasingly interested in proteins. Fleming was a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University, where she worked with Donald Engelman in the Department of Molecular Biophysics. Here she investigated the interaction of transmembrane alpha helices.

Research and career

In 2000 Fleming started her research laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. She continued to study the interactions of transmembrane helices, as well as investigating beta barrels.[3] Her work on beta barrels allowed her research group to significantly increase the number of known membrane protein stabilities. She created a hydrophobicity scale to describe protein side-chains.[4] Fleming performed some of the first measurements of the thermodynamics of protein folding.[5] [6] She developed a theoretical framework to describe the association of helices.[7] In 2010 Fleming served as president of the Gibbs Society of Biological Thermodynamics.[8] Fleming uses her understanding of protein interactions to monitor the maturation of human microorganisms.[9]

Academic service

Alongside her academic research, Fleming runs workshops on diversity and bias.[10] During the workshops she discusses social science literature on gender bias and discrimination.[11] The workshops evolved into workshops that cover confidence, the power of bystanders and positive actions that people can take to improve the research community. She maintains the blog Inclusive Excellence' which discusses initiatives to empower women scientists.[12] Fleming was a founder of the Women of Hopkins exhibition, which profiled women members of faculty at Johns Hopkins University.[13] She serves as Co-Chair of the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University Women Faculty Forum.

Awards and honours

Her awards and honours include:

Selected publications

Fleming is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Meet Karen Fleming. www.asbmb.org. en. 2020-03-13.
  2. Web site: Celebration of Science - College of Arts and Sciences - Texas Woman's University. twu.edu. 2020-03-13.
  3. Miller. Chris. September 2018. A mighty stream of membrane proteins. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. en. 25. 9. 751–753. 10.1038/s41594-018-0121-x. 30150646. 1545-9985. free.
  4. Book: Moon. C. Preston . Fleming . Karen G.. Side-chain hydrophobicity scale derived from transmembrane protein folding into lipid bilayers. National Academy of Sciences. 811395678.
  5. Web site: The Protein Society announces its 2020 award recipients. EurekAlert!. en. 2020-03-13.
  6. Fleming. Karen G.. 2014. Energetics of membrane protein folding. Annual Review of Biophysics. 43. 233–255. 10.1146/annurev-biophys-051013-022926. 1936-1238. 24895854. free.
  7. Book: Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics: Seventh Round. 2016-10-31. National Academies Press. 978-0-309-45176-5. en.
  8. Web site: 30th Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics . Michigan State.
  9. Web site: NSF Award Search: Award#1931211 - Periplasmic Chaperone Network Organization and Mechanism. www.nsf.gov. 2020-03-13.
  10. News: Gabby Greene . 12 October 2018 . Off The Cuff: Karen G. Fleming, Professor . The Oberlin Review . 2020-03-13.
  11. Web site: CIRTL & PROF-it Series: Inclusive Pedagogy workshop with Dr. Karen Fleming from JHU. 2018-03-01. myUMBC. 2020-03-13.
  12. Web site: Inclusive Excellence. Inclusive Excellence. en. 2020-03-13.
  13. Web site: The Women of Hopkins. the-women-of-hopkins. en. 2020-03-13.
  14. Web site: Overcoming Implicit Bias Discussion with Dr. Karen Fleming. johnshopkins.campuslabs.com. en. 2020-03-13.
  15. Web site: 2015 Membrane Protein Folding Conference GRC. www.grc.org. 2020-03-13.
  16. Web site: Prof. Karen Fleming Wins 2016 Thomas E. Thompson Award. Biophysics. 16 May 2016 . en-US. 2020-03-13.
  17. Web site: Karen Fleming wins Provost's Prize for Faculty Excellence in Diversity. Biophysics. 14 May 2019 . en-US. 2020-03-13.
  18. Web site: Biophysicist Karen Fleming wins $50,000 Provost's Prize for Faculty Excellence in Diversity. 2019-05-16. The Hub. en. 2020-03-13.
  19. Web site: Karen G. Fleming to Receive 2023 Avanti Award in Lipids . 2024-01-08 . The Biophysical Society . en-US.

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