She received her undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. from MIT. Dr. Burton’s work focuses on understanding how cells import nucleic acids from their environments, one of the mechanisms that allows for transfer of antibiotic resistance. Dr. Burton has also been designated the Milton E. Cassel Scholar for the 2011 class of Rita Allen Foundation Scholars. This special award honors the memory of a long-time president of the Rita Allen Foundation who passed away in 2004.