USF professor dies in car crash

USF professor Tatiana Kozlova, known as a “promising scientist” in the biology department, died in a car accident Sunday. She was 39.

Kozlova’s most recent study focused on genetic research and how steroids hormones function, said Carl Thummel, assistant professor at the Human Genetics Department at the University of Utah. Thummel worked with Kozlova for the past six years while she worked on her post-doctoral associate’s degree from October 1997 through June 2003.

Using the fruit fly as a model system, Kozlova was able to analyze the mechanism of hormonal signaling, Thummel said.

In addition, Gordon Fox, a USF biology professor, said it was clear Kozlova’s research was high quality because of the opportunity she obtained to published in Science Journal, which he characterized as the most prestigious scientific magazine in the country.

“(As a scientist,) it’s a real honor to have your work published,” Fox said. “And (Kozlova) had her work published in (Science) not more than three weeks ago.”

Thummel said Kozlova will be missed by the scientific community at the University of Utah.

“(Kozlova) was truly a wonderful person and had a great sense of humor,” Thummel said.

As a development biologist, Fox was involved in the process of looking at all the job candidates before Kozlova was selected as assistant professor last August.

“(Kozlova) was a very strong candidate,” Fox said. “We were very glad to get (Kozlova) here.”

He added that Kozlova was a friendly and outgoing person.

“We all miss her,” Fox said. “(Kozlova) had only been here a few months, and we all (at the biology department) feel this way.”

Kozlova was a native of Russia. She is survived by her son Maxim who lives in Boston.