Bio
Maria Barna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at Stanford University. Dr. Barna obtained her B.A. in Anthropology from New York University and her Ph.D. from Cornell University, Weill Graduate School of Medicine. She completed her thesis work in the lab of Dr. Lee Niswander in the Developmental Biology Department at Sloan Kettering Institute in 2007. Dr. Barna was subsequently appointed as a UCSF Fellow through the Sandler Fellows program, which enables exceptionally promising young scientists to establish independent research programs immediately following graduate school. Dr. Barna has received a number of distinctions including being named a Pew Scholar, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, and top ’40 under 40’ by the Cell Journal. She has received the Basil O’ Connor Scholar Research Award and the NIH Directors New Innovator Award. In 2016, she was the recipient of the Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award, an award given to two female scientist in the world every three years in the field of genetics, the American Society for Cell Biology Emerging Leader Prize, and the RNA Society Early Career Award. She has also received the inaugural Elizabeth Hay award from the Society of Developmental Biology, the H.W. Mossman Award in Developmental Biology and the Tsuneko and Reiji “Okazaki” Award, among others. She is presently a NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Investigator.
Academic Appointments
Honors & Awards
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RNA Society Early Career Award, RNA Society (2019)
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Harland Winfield Mossman Award in Developmental Biology, American Association of Anatomists (2017)
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Inaugural Elizabeth Hay Award, Society of Developmental Biology (2017)
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Tsuneko and Reiji 'Okazaki Award', Japan (2017)
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American Society for Cell Biology Emerging Leader Prize, ASCB (2016)
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McCormick and Gabilan Fellow, Stanford University (2016)
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Robertson Stem Cell Investigator, New York Stem Cell Foundation (2016)
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Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award, Gruber Foundation and Genetics Society of America (2016)
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Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Science (2015)
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Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2014)
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Mallinckrodt Foundation Award, Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation (2014)
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Pew Scholars Award, Pew Charitable Trusts (2014)
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Top '40 under 40', Cell Press (2014)
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NIH Directors New Innovator Award, NIH (2011)
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Basil O'Connor Scholar Research Award, March of Dimes (2010)
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National Institutes of Child Health and Development Pediatric LRP, NIH (2009)
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UCSF Faculty Fellows Program, UCSF Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco (2007)
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Nominated, Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, Cornell University (2006)
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Vincent du Vigneaud Award of Excellence for Graduate Research, Cornell University (2004)
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Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, New York University (1996, 1997)
Professional Education
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Ph.D., Cornell University, Weill Graduate School of Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Biology (2007)
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B.A., New York University, Anthropology (1998)