Mayana Zatz
Mayana Zatz | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 16, 1947 Israel |
| Occupation(s) | Molecular biologist, geneticist, professor, research dean |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Known for | Research on muscular dystrophies, genetic counseling, founding the Brazilian Association of Muscular Dystrophy (ABIM) |
Mayana Zatz (; born July 16, 1947) is a distinguished Brazilian molecular biologist and geneticist, serving as a professor and Research Dean at the University of São Paulo.
Biography
Among the numerous honors awarded to Zatz are the 2000 L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science and the Woman of the Year Award from Claudia Magazine in 2001.
Originally from Israel, where she was born in 1947, Zatz relocated with her family to Brazil in 1955. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology in 1968, followed by a Master’s degree in 1970 and a Doctorate in 1974, all at the University of São Paulo. In 1977, she pursued postdoctoral studies in Medical Genetics at UCLA. She achieved her livre-docência qualification at USP in 1987. Her focus on muscular dystrophies was sparked during her university years, influenced by a patient from a family with a significant history of the disease.
Beginning her career in 1969, Zatz specialized in genetic counseling for families affected by neuromuscular diseases, offering risk assessment and guidance related to reproduction. By 1981, motivated by concerns over insufficient care for affected children, she established the Brazilian Association of Muscular Dystrophy (ABIM) within USP’s Institute of Bioscience. ABIM became the first center in Latin America devoted to supporting individuals with dystrophies, providing services such as physical therapy, hydrotherapy, recreational and cognitive programs, along with psychological assistance. Today, it serves approximately 100 children weekly and has supported more than 1,000 patients, predominantly from low-income backgrounds.
Zatz holds memberships in prominent organizations including the International Human Genome Project, the Academy of Sciences of the State of São Paulo, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Her scholarly output exceeds 170 articles published in top-tier journals like "Nature Genetics" and "Human Molecular Genetics." Additionally, she contributes as a columnist for Brazilian Veja Magazine and was honored with the 2003 TWAS Prize.
Over her professional tenure, Zatz has provided genetic counseling to nearly 16,000 individuals from families impacted by genetic disorders, mainly neuromuscular conditions—representing the largest number worldwide. In collaboration with professor and doctoral candidate Eloísa de Sá Moreira in 1995, she identified one gene associated with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Their research also led to mapping the gene responsible for Knobloch syndrome, a condition that results in progressive blindness.