Joan W. Conaway

Joan Weliky Conaway is an American biochemist who researches gene transcription. She worked at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research from 2001 to 2021 and currently serves as vice provost and dean for basic research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences .

Early life and education Joan Weliky grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Hopewell, New Jersey. Her father Irving Weliky and her mother Virginia , were both biochemists, though Virginia gave up her work to be a full-time homemaker. She attended Bryn Mawr College, where she was initially undecided between majoring in biomedical science or political science. After her freshman year, she worked in a pharmaceutical company's immunology lab, which was when she made up her mind to become a biomedical scientist. She later was a graduate student at Stanford University under the advisorship of future Nobel laureate Roger D. Kornberg, graduating with a PhD in cell biology. In August 2023, Joan Conaway was elected president of the American Society for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (ASBMB).

Personal life She is married to fellow researcher Ronald Conaway. She and Ronald enjoy jazz performances.