Biochemist Squire Booker appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge professor

Squire Booker, a chemist at Penn State University, has been appointed a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor starting Jan. 1.  

Booker, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, is a chemist who integrates techniques from chemistry, biochemistry, medicine, and microbiology to investigate how iron-sulfur cluster enzymes drive chemical reactions. He will join Penn in spring 2025 as a professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biophysics.  

Booker was named the Richard Perry University Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Perelman School of Medicine on Nov. 12. The Richard Perry University Professorship is part of the Penn Integrates Knowledge initiative, which aims to recruit faculty who integrate knowledge across disciplines and hold joint appointments in at least two Penn Schools. The professorship was established by Penn Trustee and Wharton graduate Richard Perry in 2005 to support the first four PIK professors.

“Groundbreaking life science research is essential to human health and flourishing,” Interim President Larry Jameson told Penn Today. “Professor Booker brings the caliber of expertise, novel scientific approaches, and interdisciplinary insights necessary to advance this work. His track record of advancing foundational discoveries and mentoring young scientists makes him an ideal fit for Penn’s signature approach.”

Currently, Booker is an Evan Pugh University Professor and the Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Science at Penn State University, where he has taught since 1999. The Booker Lab studies how enzymes with iron-sulfur clusters use radical chemistry to drive important biological processes like modifying proteins and making essential molecules. 

By exploring these enzymes with advanced lab techniques, Booker's research aims to uncover how these processes work and how they can be applied to improve human health.

“Squire Booker’s ambitious and creative research exemplifies the mission of our strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, to lead on the great challenges of our time,” Provost John Jackson Jr. said “He will be a galvanizing leader on campus, bringing together the insights of multiple disciplines to make a powerful impact on health outcomes around the world.”

Professor Booker is also an associate editor for the American Chemistry Society Journal of Biochemistry and deputy editor for ACS Bio & Med Chem Gold. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Booker has also been recognized with many professional honors throughout his career, including the Merck Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, recognizing outstanding contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology research, and the Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award, honoring his sustained efforts to mentor scientists from historically underrepresented groups.