Rebecca Burdine is professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. Her lab focuses on understanding the developmental mechanisms that control organ morphogenesis and underlie structural birth defects and rare genetic disorders. Dr. Burdine graduated summa cum laude from Western Kentucky University, majoring in Recombinant Gene Technology with a minor in Chemistry. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University in Cell Biology followed by postdoctoral research at NYU – Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine. She was named the 44th Mallinckrodt Scholar for the Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation and received a Scientist Development Career Award from the American Heart Association in 2003. She was elected as fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2018 and to the Society for Developmental Biology Academy in 2024. She currently serves on the boards for the Society of Developmental Biology and the Coalition for the Life Sciences. Dr. Burdine had a daughter with Angelman Syndrome and serves as the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee and on the Board for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation.