Angelika Amon

Angelika Amon (1967-2020) was a towering figure in chromosome biology and cancer genetics whose seminal work on aneuploidy and chromosomal instability fundamentally shaped the field. Working at MIT until her death from ovarian cancer in 2020, she defined how numerical chromosome imbalances cause proteotoxic stress and cellular dysfunction. She discovered that aneuploid cells share a common transcriptional stress signature and elucidated the mechanisms by which cells tolerate extra chromosomes. Her legacy continues through the CIN and aneuploidy field she largely built.