List of RNA biologists

For related information, see the articles on History of RNA Biology, History of Molecular Biology, and History of Genetics.

Name Dates Institution Awards
Abelson, John born 1938 University of California, San Francisco 1985 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Altman, Sidney 1939–2022 Yale University 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1990 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Ambros, Victor born 1953 University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 2007 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2008 Lasker Award, 2009 Horwitz Prize, 2015 Breakthrough Prize, 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Atkins, John University College Cork 2007 Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal Award
Baltimore, David born 1938 California Institute of Technology 1974 National Academy of Science (US), 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Barré-Sinoussi, Françoise born 1947 Pasteur Institute 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Bartel, David Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005 National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology
Baulcombe, David born 1952 Cambridge University 2008 Lasker Award
Belfort, Marlene born 1945 Wadsworth Center 1999 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Benzer, Seymour 1921–2007 California Institute of Technology 1961 National Academy of Science (US), 1971 Lasker Award, 1976 Horwitz Prize
Birnstiel, Max 1933–2014 University of Zurich 1983 National Academy of Science (US)
Blackburn, Elizabeth born 1948 University of California, San Francisco 1993 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2006 Lasker Award, 2007 Horwitz Prize, 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Breaker, Ronald R. born 1964 Yale University 2006 National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology
Brenner, Sydney 1927–2019 Salk Institute 1971 & 2000 Lasker Award, 1977 National Academy of Science (US), 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Brown, Donald D. Carnegie Institution for Science 1973 National Academy of Science (US), 1985 Horwitz Prize
Bruening, George University of California, Davis 1992 National Academy of Science (US)
Burge, Christopher born 1968 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2001 Overton Prize, 2003 Searle Scholar Award
Carthew, Richard born 1956 Northwestern University 1995 Pew Biomedical Scholar
Caruthers, Marvin born 1940 University of Colorado, Boulder 1994 National Academy of Science (US)
Cech, Thomas born 1947 University of Colorado, Boulder 1987 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1988 Lasker Award, 1988 Horwitz Prize, 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Chambon, Pierre born 1931 Institute for Genetics and Cell and Molecular Biology, Strasbourg 1985 National Academy of Science (US), 1999 Horwitz Prize
Crick, Francis 1916–2004 Salk Institute 1960 Lasker Award, 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Dahlberg, James E. University of Wisconsin, Madison 1996 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Darnell, James born

1930

Rockefeller University 1973 National Academy of Science (US), 2002 Lasker Award
Darnell, Robert 1957 Rockefeller University 2010 National Academy of Medicine (US), 2014 National Academy of Science (US)
Doolittle, W. Ford 1942 Dalhousie University 2002 National Academy of Science (US)
Doudna, Jennifer born 1964 University of California, Berkeley 2002 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (US)
Dulbecco, Renato 1914-2012 CNR Institute of Biomedical Technologies (Italy) 1961 National Academy of Science (US), 1964 Lasker Award, 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Feigon, Juli University of California, Los Angeles 2009 National Academy of Science (US)
Fire, Andrew born 1959 Stanford University 2004 National Academy of Science (US), 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Gall, Joseph G. born 1928 Carnegie Institution 1972 National Academy of Science (US), 2006 Lasker Award, 2007 Horwitz Prize
Gallo, Robert born 1937 National Institutes of Health (US) 1982 & 1986 Lasker Award
Gilbert, Walter born 1932 Harvard University 1976 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1979 Lasker Award, 1979 Horwitz Prize, 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Greider, Carol born 1961 Johns Hopkins University 2003 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2006 Lasker Award, 2007 Horwitz Prize, 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Guthrie, Christine University of California, San Francisco 1993 National Academy of Science (US)
Hannon, Greg Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2007 National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology
Henkin, Tina M. Ohio State University 2006 National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology
Hoagland, Mahlon 1921–2009 Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research 1984 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Holley, Robert 1922–1993 Cornell University 1965 Lasker Award, 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Hurwitz, Jerard Sloan-Kettering Institute 1974 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Jacob, François 1920–2013 Pasteur Institute 1965 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1969 National Academy of Science (US)
Joyce, Gerald born 1956 Scripps Research Institute 2001 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Kaesberg, Paul University of Wisconsin, Madison 1991 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Khorana, H. Gobind 1922–2011 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1966 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1968 Horwitz Prize, 1968 Lasker Award
Klug, Aaron 1926–2018 Medical Research Council (UK) 1981 Horwitz Prize, 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1984 National Academy of Science (US)
Kornberg, Roger born 1947 Stanford University 1993 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2006 Horwitz Prize
Lambowitz, Alan University of Texas, Austin 2004 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Maquat, Lynne born 1952 University of Rochester 2011 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2015 Canada Gairdner International Award, 2017 National Academy of Medicine (US), 2018 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences
Mello, Craig born 1960 University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Montagnier, Luc 1932-2022 Pasteur Institute 1986 Lasker Award, 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Moore, Peter born 1939 Yale University National Academy of Sciences (US)
Nirenberg, Marshall 1927–2010 National Institutes of Health (USA) 1967 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1968 Lasker Award, 1968 Horwitz Prize
Noller, Harry born 1939 University of California, Santa Cruz 1992 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Nomura, Masayasu 1927-2011 University of California, Irvine 1978 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Ochoa, Severo 1905–1993 New York University 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Orgel, Leslie 1927–2007 Salk Institute 1990 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Pace, Norman R. University of Colorado, Boulder 1991 National Academy of Science (US)
Ptashne, Mark Sloan-Kettering Institute 1985 Horwitz Prize, 1997 Lasker Award
Ramakrishnan, Venkatraman born 1952 Medical Research Council (UK) 2004 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Roberts, Richard born 1943 New England Biolabs 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Rich, Alexander 1924-2015 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1970 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Roeder, Robert born 1942 Rockefeller University 1988 National Academy of Science (US), 1999 Horwitz Prize, 2003 Lasker Prize
Rosbash, Michael Archived 2016-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Brandeis University 2003 National Academy of Science (US), 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (US)
Ruvkun, Gary Harvard University 2008 Lasker Award, 2008 National Academy of Sciences, 2009 Horwitz Prize, 2015 Breakthrough Prize, 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Schimmel, Paul Scripps Research Institute 1990 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Sharp, Philip born 1944 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1983 National Academy of Science (US), 1988 Lasker Award, 1988 Horwitz Prize, 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Shatkin, Aaron Rutgers University 1981 National Academy of Science (US)
Singer, Maxine born 1931 Carnegie Institution of Washington 1979 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1992 National Medal of Science (US)
Söll, Dieter born 1935 Yale University 1997 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Spiegelman, Sol 1914–1983 Columbia University 1974 Lasker Award
Steitz, Joan born 1941 Yale University 1983 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Steitz, Thomas 1940-2018 Yale University 1990 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Stevens, Audrey 1932-2010 Oak Ridge National Laboratory 1998 National Academy of Science (US)
Szostak, Jack born 1952 Harvard University 1998 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2006 Lasker Award, 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Temin, Howard 1934–1994 University of Wisconsin, Madison 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Tinoco, Ignacio 1930–2016 University of California, Berkeley 1985 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Tjian, Robert born 1949 University of California, Berkeley 1991 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1999 Horwitz Prize
Todd, Alexander 1907–1997 University of Cambridge 1957 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Turner, Douglas University of Rochester 2011 Gordon Hammes Lectureship
Uhlenbeck, Olke Northwestern University 1993 National Academy of Sciences (US)
Watson, James born 1928 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1960 Lasker Award, 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1962 National Academy of Science (US)
Yanofsky, Charles 1925–2018 Stanford University 1966 National Academy of Science (US), 1971 Lasker Award, 1976 Horwitz Prize
Yonath, Ada born 1939 Weizmann Institute of Science 2003 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2005 Horwitz Prize, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Zamecnik, Paul 1912–2009 Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research 1968 National Academy of Sciences (US), 1996 Lasker Award
Zamore, Phillip born 1963 University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 2014 National Academy of Inventors, 2023 National Academy of Sciences (US), 2023 National Academy of Medicine, 2023 American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Zinder, Norton 1928–2012 Rockefeller University 1969 National Academy of Science (US)