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PrintJane Peterson, Ph.D.
Ph.D. University of Colorado
(301) 496-7531
(301) 480-2770
Room 4076, MSC 9305
Rockville, MD 20892-9305
Dr. Jane Peterson is known at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her masterful ability to bring large scientific projects to fruition. Her input, for example, was critical to the success of the Human Genome Project, one of the largest scientific undertakings ever conceived.
As a Senior Advisor to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Office of the Director, Dr. Peterson will continue to shape and influence large collaborative scientific endeavors such as the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. H3Africa was organized to study the genetic and environmental determinants of common diseases with the goal of improving the health of African populations.
Dr. Peterson will also continue to help the institute plan and manage its ongoing programs such as The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP), the Human Microbiome Project and the Knockout Mouse Project.
"It has been a privilege to work at NHGRI on projects such as the Human Genome Project," said Dr. Peterson. "I'm looking forward to my new role in advising NHGRI more broadly about the development of projects that will advance genomic science."
Dr. Peterson joined the NHGRI Extramural Research Program as a Program Director in 1989. She has served as an Associate Director of the program since 2002. She managed NHGRI's comparative sequencing program to improve understanding of the human genome and genome biology through comparisons of genome sequences from multiple organisms. She also was instrumental in initiating and furthering the work on The Cancer Genome Atlas project, The Knockout Mouse Project and the Human Microbiome Project.
Dr. Peterson won the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Award in 2001 for her contributions to the Human Genome Project and again in 2005 for her involvement in a catalog of human genetic variation called The International HapMap Project. In 2011, she was awarded the NHGRI Director's Distinguished Award. She received her undergraduate degree from Western College in Oxford, Ohio, and her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.
Last Reviewed: October 1, 2012
