Molecular Analysis of B Lymphocyte Development and Activation

Eugeniawaspassionatelyinterestedinunderstandingthemolecular- sisofdevelopmentandchoseashermodelsystemthedevelopmentofB andTlymphocytes. Shebeganbystudyingthetranscriptionalregulation oftheTcell-specificgene,Thy-1,asagraduatestudentinFrankGrosveld s labatMillHill,London. Thereafter,sheturnedherattentiontothetopicof V(D)Jrecombination,firstasapostdoctoralfellowwithDavidBaltimore attheWhiteheadInstituteinCambridge,Massachusettsandsubsequently inherownlaboratoryatMountSinaiSchoolofMedicineinNewYorkCity. Eugeniamadefundamentaldiscoveriesconcerningthebiochemicalme- anismofthisreaction,andhowdefectsinitscentralenzymaticcom- nents,RAG1andRAG2,canleadtoahumanseverecombinedimmuno- ficiencydisorder,knownasOmennsyndrome. Atthetimeof herdeath, shehadbeenaHowardHughesMedicalInstituteinvestigatorforlessthan ayear,buthadalreadyassembledalaboratoryof15peopleworkingonan extensivearrayoftopicsinearlylymphocytedevelopmentandV(D)J- combination. Eugenialivedeachmomentofherlifewithanintensityfittingforthe cityinwhichshelived. LikeManhattan,shesleptlittle. Sheexpectedagreat dealofherself,andonlyalittlelessfromthosewithwhomsheworked. - geniaalsohadhighexpectationsforthescientificprocessandwasouts- keninherpraiseorcondemnationofthosewhometorfellshortofthose expectations. Shewasquicktoformanopinionanddevotedherselffe- ciouslytofriendshipsandhypotheses. PerhapsthegreatesttestimonytoEugeniaistheaffectionandreverence feltforherby themembersof herlab. Whilethisstemmedinnosmall partfrompredictablesources¿herkeenmindandbroadknowledge¿it founditsdeepestsourceinEugenia sabilitytotransmit,byexampleand word,her love of a life of learning and exploration. SandroSantigata,a graduatestudentinEugenia slab,capturedthiseloquentlyatthememorial serviceforEugeniaandAndrew,whenhesaid: VIII Obituary ¿Ifyouhaveeverbeenspellboundbyagreatstatue,enrapturedbyits strengthandvitality,enthralledbyitspurity,purposeandgraceandupli- edbythesenseofhopethatitsparkswithinyoursoul,thenyouhave- readyunderstoodwhyIadoredEu