Dr. Ahna Skop, Ph.D.
Ahna Skop is a geneticist, artist, author, entrepreneur, and recipient of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Her laboratory at the University of Wisconsin–Madison investigates the molecular mechanisms of cell division, focusing on the last step--abscission—which depends on a transient structure called the midbody. Once thought to be a disposable remnant, the midbody is now recognized by Skop’s lab as a signaling organelle with roles in determining cell fate, proliferation state, tissue polarity, cilia formation, neuronal function, and oncogenesis.
In 2004, Ahna pioneered proteomic and genomic approaches to identify novel cell division proteins through biochemically purified midbodies, work published in Science. Her recent discoveries reveal that midbodies are translationally active, RNA-containing organelles that facilitate new forms of cellular communication in mammalian cancer and stem cells. This research has inspired her entrepreneurial venture as CEO and CSO of aMBR Genomics, a UW–Madison spinout company developing midbody-derived biomarkers for early cancer detection and diagnostics.
A strong advocate for the intersection of art and science, Ahna integrates her artistic background into scientific visualization and education. Her 40-foot scientific art installation, Genetic Reflections, adorns the entrance of the Genetics/Biotechnology Center at UW–Madison. She has also curated the traveling exhibit TINY: Art from Microscopes and organized the biannual C. elegans Worm Art Show for almost three decades.
Dedicated to inclusion and mentorship, Ahna has received multiple national honors for her commitment to underrepresented students in STEM, including the UW–Madison Chancellor’s Inclusive Excellence Award and the inaugural ASCB–HHMI Inclusive Excellence Award. She has served on the SACNAS Board and the ASCB Minority Affairs Committee, and continues to advise on diversity initiatives at the NIH and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Ahna is a Professor of Genetics and affiliate faculty in Cell & Regenerative Biology, Life Sciences Communication, and the UW–Madison Arts Institute. She is also a board member of the Wisconsin Science Museum, where her art-science collaborations are featured. She was named a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences (2015), inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences (2024), and recognized as one of 125 Women in STEM as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador. Her book, Genetic Reflections: A Coloring Book, celebrates the beauty of genetics and model organism research, blending creativity and biology.
Raised in a family of artists, Ahna credits her parents and siblings—all creators in various media—for instilling in her a lifelong passion for curiosity and expression. She earned her B.S. in Biology (minor in Ceramics) from Syracuse University, her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from UW–Madison, and completed postdoctoral training at UC–Berkeley. Her work has been featured by Apple, The Scientist, Smithsonian, Science Magazine, and NPR. Outside the lab, she channels her creativity into cooking and baking, often merging science and art through her AAAS IF/THEN-funded project labculturerecipes.com.
In 2004, Ahna pioneered proteomic and genomic approaches to identify novel cell division proteins through biochemically purified midbodies, work published in Science. Her recent discoveries reveal that midbodies are translationally active, RNA-containing organelles that facilitate new forms of cellular communication in mammalian cancer and stem cells. This research has inspired her entrepreneurial venture as CEO and CSO of aMBR Genomics, a UW–Madison spinout company developing midbody-derived biomarkers for early cancer detection and diagnostics.
A strong advocate for the intersection of art and science, Ahna integrates her artistic background into scientific visualization and education. Her 40-foot scientific art installation, Genetic Reflections, adorns the entrance of the Genetics/Biotechnology Center at UW–Madison. She has also curated the traveling exhibit TINY: Art from Microscopes and organized the biannual C. elegans Worm Art Show for almost three decades.
Dedicated to inclusion and mentorship, Ahna has received multiple national honors for her commitment to underrepresented students in STEM, including the UW–Madison Chancellor’s Inclusive Excellence Award and the inaugural ASCB–HHMI Inclusive Excellence Award. She has served on the SACNAS Board and the ASCB Minority Affairs Committee, and continues to advise on diversity initiatives at the NIH and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Ahna is a Professor of Genetics and affiliate faculty in Cell & Regenerative Biology, Life Sciences Communication, and the UW–Madison Arts Institute. She is also a board member of the Wisconsin Science Museum, where her art-science collaborations are featured. She was named a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences (2015), inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences (2024), and recognized as one of 125 Women in STEM as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador. Her book, Genetic Reflections: A Coloring Book, celebrates the beauty of genetics and model organism research, blending creativity and biology.
Raised in a family of artists, Ahna credits her parents and siblings—all creators in various media—for instilling in her a lifelong passion for curiosity and expression. She earned her B.S. in Biology (minor in Ceramics) from Syracuse University, her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from UW–Madison, and completed postdoctoral training at UC–Berkeley. Her work has been featured by Apple, The Scientist, Smithsonian, Science Magazine, and NPR. Outside the lab, she channels her creativity into cooking and baking, often merging science and art through her AAAS IF/THEN-funded project labculturerecipes.com.
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Ahna is available to give public talks about the importance of art in science
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"Too creative for science?" (2017) |
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