Cassandra G. Extavour
Personal Information
Born: Unknown
Country of Birth: Canada
Nationality: Canadian
Ethnicity: Black
Education
University of Toronto BSc Molecular Genetics & Molecular Biology with major in Mathematics 1995; Autonomous University of Madrid PhD 2000 evolutionary Biology; Genetics, Harvard University; Handel & Haydn Society
Professional Life
Field of Study: Evolutionary Biology; Genetics
Institution/Corporation: Harvard University; Handel & Haydn Society
Degrees & Memberships: Member: Howard Hughes Medical Investigator (2021)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: Rupert Philips Award for Excellence in Spanish; Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Award; 2020 Harvard College Professorship; 2001 EMBO Short Term Fellowship
Achievements: Past Director of EDEN, a national research collaborative encouraging use of non- Drosophila model organisms; research in germ cell development, early embyonic development, & the development & evolution of reproductive systems; professional classical singer; known for demonstrating that germ cells engage in cell to cell competition before becoming a gamete; her early research showed bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) can help to induce primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the early stages of embryo development in a cricket; 1st Black female tenured professorship at Harvard's Faculty of the Arts & Sciences; editor of Development ( a scientific journal)