Rosenzweig studies metals which are essential to enzyme activity but cause damage when they are present in excess. Problems in the metal metabolisms cause diseases such as Menkes syndrome and Wilson disease, both disorders of copper metabolism, and might play a role in the development of Alzheimer's.
Each year, the MacArthur program awards $500,000 to 25 individuals, experts and innovators in a variety of fields, who are free to use the money for anything-the award recipients are not required to put the grant toward their work or research.
"They may use their fellowship to advance their expertise, engage in interdisciplinary work, or, if they wish, to change fields or alter the direction of their careers," according to The MacArthur Fellows Program website.
Rosenzweig is uncertain as to what she will do with the money of her fellowship award. "I'll probably use some for research. Some will probably go to childcare. I have a two year old daughter, and child care is really expensive," she said. "Beyond that, I'm not sure. I'm still thinking about it."
Rosenzweig was unaware that she was being considered for a MacArthur Fellowship. "I did nothing. It's all anonymous. I have no idea who nominated me at all," said Rosenzweig. "It's totally different from applying for other grants and awards, when you have to make a detailed application."
She received an unexpected phone call informing her that she had won the fellowship. "I got a phone call in my office and the guy on the other end basically said 'Are you alone? Is your door shut? You'd better sit down' and then he told me. About halfway through the conversation, he told me that I was on a speaker phone and there were about ten people in the room. It was kind of funny," Rosenzweig said. "Then they Federal Expressed a letter to arrive the next day, just so I would know that it wasn't a joke," she added.
The MacArther Foundation chooses more than 100 nominators with expertise in a variety of fields. "[The nominators] are encouraged to nominate the most creative people they know within their field and beyond," according to the program's website.
"The fellowship is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential," according to the website. The purpose of the program is to encourage recipients to use their own original work to benefit society.