Vern Schramm

Vern L. Schramm
Prof. Schramm in his office at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, April 2004
Born	November 9, 1941 (1941-11-09) (age 75) Howard, South Dakota
Nationality	United States
Fields	Biochemistry
Alma mater	South Dakota State University
Doctoral advisor	John F. Morrison
Known for	Enzyme kinetics, Kinetic isotope effect
Notable awards	Rudi Lemberg Award, Repligen Award

Vern L. Schramm (born November 9, 1941) is a Professor & Ruth Merns Chair in Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Schramm was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. His laboratory's research focuses on the elucidation of enzymatic mechanisms and transition state structure.

This information is then used for the logical design of transition-state inhibitors which have the potential to be new biologically active agents. Some of these are in development to be drugs. Schramm's work has translated basic chemical understanding at the quantum mechanical level to a new approach to drug development.

Schramm earned his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State College, now South Dakota State University. He earned his master's degree in nutrition from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in the mechanism of enzyme action from the Australian National University.

Schramm secured a postdoctoral position at the NASA Ames Research Center after graduation. Later he joined the Temple University School of Medicine as a faculty member. In 1987 he joined the faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine as professor and chair of the biochemistry department.