Miriam Rossi

Research and career

Rossi joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center as a postdoctoral fellow with Jenny Glusker. There she determined the structure of methylcobalamin, an active compound of Vitamin B12.

In 1982 Rossi joined Vassar College. She uses X-ray crystallography to study the structure and function of molecules, particularly those with biological activity. She has investigated several biological molecules, including quercetin, curcumin and resveratrol. Rossi identified the bioactivity of curcumin. At Vassar College, Rossi supervised Cathy Drennan and has continued to act as her mentor. She served on the US National Committee for Crystallography and is currently a member of the International Union of Crystallography Commission on Education. She is responsible for teaching structural chemistry and biochemistry. At Vassar she led the Culture and Chemistry of Cuisine course. In the class, students learn about fermentation, leavening and the behaviour of starches. She has worked with The Culinary Institute of America on their culinary science program. After being asked to speak about the nutritional benefits of the Mediterranean diet, Rossi became interested in its scientific origins. She collaborated with an olive oil producer in California and found that olive oil limited the growth of tumour cells and had strong antioxidant properties. Working with undergraduate students from Vassar College, Rossi investigated the health-improving properties of goji berries, using X-ray diffraction to determine the structure of β-ionone, emodin and cnidium. She also looked at hispolon, a compound that is found in mushrooms from East Asia.

Rossi worked on initiatives to advance women faculty memberships into leadership positions. She has developed mentoring schemes and cyber networking opportunities. In 2017 Rossi was named at the Diamond Level of the Mid-Hudson section of the American Chemical Society.

Publications