Anne Ephrussi

Anne Ephrussi studied biology at Harvard University in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from where she graduated in 1979. She continued to do her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the group of Susumu Tonegawa where she received her doctoral degree in 1985. Ephrussi performed postdoctoral research at Harvard University in the lab of Thomas Maniatis from 1986 to 1989 and at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research with Ruth Lehmann from 1989 to 1992. Since 1992, Anne Ephrussi has been a group leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). She became the head of EMBL International Centre for Advanced Training in 2005 and head of the developmental biology unit in 2007.[2][4] She served as Associate Dean (1999 - 2005) and Dean (2005 - 2008) of Graduate Studies of the EMBL International PhD program. She is part of numerous international Scientific Advisory Boards and Panels, organizes international conferences and scientific meetings and evaluates research grant and fellowship applications for a variety of renowned funding bodies.

Anne Ephrussi has French and American citizenship. She is the daughter of Boris Ephrussi and Harriett Ephrussi-Taylor.[5] She lives in Heidelberg, is married and has one child.

With her research, Anne Ephrussi has contributed to the elucidation of the crucial role that spatial and temporal control of mRNA localization and translation play in oocyte development and cell polarity.[6]

Ephrussi established that oskar RNA is accumulated at and thereby defines the posterior pole of the Drosophila oocyte.[7] Aberrant localization and translation leads to germ cell formation defects and mispatterning during development.[8] Proper localization of oskar mRNA is ensured by concerted actions of the exon junction complex[9][10][11] and oskar's 3’ UTR[12] followed by a microtubule-based movement. During transport, translation of oskar is repressed by the RNA-binding protein Bruno, which is in turn released by the binding of activators (e.g. Orb) upon arrival at the posterior pole.[13] After proper localization, oskar RNA is translated and organizes germ plasm by recruiting other proteins such as Vasa.[14]

Her lab's current research continues to focus on spatial and temporal control of translation and which role ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs), cytoskeletal polarization and cytoskeletal motors play in RNA localization. Further, the roles of non-canonical RNA binding proteins in development as well as germ plasm assembly and function are investigated. These questions are tackled using a combination of genetics, biochemistry and a broad spectrum of cell biological and imaging approaches using the large Drosophila melanogaster oocyte as a model.

• 1995 – Elected member of EMBO Find people in the EMBO Communities
• 2000 – IUBMB E.C. Slater Lecture Academy of Europe: Ephrussi Anne
• 2008 – Elected member of the French Academy of Sciences.[15]
• 2010 – Elected member of the Academia Europaea Academy of Europe: Ephrussi Anne
• 2011 – Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, France Academy of Europe: Ephrussi Anne
• 2015 – Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, France Academy of Europe: Ephrussi Anne
• 2022 – Feldberg Prize
• 2022 – Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2023 – Society for Developmental Biology Lifetime Achievement Award

• Senior Editor, Editorial Board Trends in Cell Biology (since 1997) [16]
• Editorial Board, Genes to Cells (since 2003) Genes to Cells
• Advisory Board, WIREs RNA (since 2009) Editorial & Advisory Board - RNA - WIREs Home
• Editorial Board, Cell (since 2009) [17]
• Editorial Board, RNA (2018-2021) RNA -- Editors and Editorial Board
• Editorial Board, Journal of Cell Biology (since 2018) [18]