Claire Fraser, PhD
Dean E. Albert Reece Endowed Professor and Founding Director, Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine
A pioneer and global leader in genomic medicine, Claire Fraser is one of the most highly cited investigators in microbiology.
In 1995, she was the first to map the complete genetic code of a free-living organism — Haemophilus influenza — the bacterium that causes lower-respiratory tract infections and meningitis in infants and young children. This achievement took place at the Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Md., where Fraser served as director from 1998 to 2007.
Her discovery forever changed microbiology and launched a new field of study — microbial genomics. During that time, she and her team also sequenced the bacteria behind syphilis and Lyme disease and eventually the first plant genome and the first human-pathogenic parasite. She also helped identify the source of a deadly 2001 anthrax attack in one of the biggest investigations conducted by U.S. law enforcement.
In 2007, Dr. Fraser launched the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, bringing 60 researchers and staff with her from the Institute for Genomic Research. IGS now holds over 25 percent of the funding awarded by the Human Microbiome Project. She served as director of IGS until March 2023.
Fraser has authored more than 320 scientific publications, edited three books, and served on committees of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Promega Biotechnology Award and the E.O. Lawrence Award from the Department of Energy.
Fraser earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her PhD in pharmacology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
