Victoria Foe


Victoria Elizabeth Foe is an American developmental biologist, and Research Professor at the University of Washington's Center for Cell Dynamics.
She graduated from University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with Hugh Forrest, and from University of Washington, where she studied with Charles Laird.
Her work on drosophila is supported by an independent supporting grant, by the National Institutes of Health.
She married Dr. Michael Dennis, a neurophysiologist. They later divorced.
She was involved in the women's movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the anti-Persian Gulf War movement.

Early life & education

As a child, Foe moved around a lot, living in the United States, Mexico, and England.

Career

Foe received her B.S. and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. At 34, Foe won the McArthur Genius Grant for her work in cell and developmental biology. Presently, Foe is a founding member of the Center of Cell Dynamics at the University of Washington, where she works with frogs, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and fish to examine the growth and patterning of embryos. She describes her work as largely observational, but utilizes recent scientific techniques to explore her observations of the natural world. She has not taught or gone down the traditional path of mentoring young scientists, not wanting to get caught up in administrative duties as a professor. Nor has she let technicians or students work for her in research.

Activism

Foe was an activist and scientist. She took a break from her schooling at the University of Texas at Austin to take a position as political aide. While acting as a political aid, she helped overturn the anti-abortion legislation in the state of Texas.

Awards