Mary-Claire King

Professor of Genome Sciences of Medicine (Medical Genetics)
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Professor King received her PhD in Genetics in 1973 from the University of California, Berkeley. Following the discovery of the breast and ovarian cancer predisposition genes, Professor King went on to devise additional new strategies for patient screening. Her research is especially important for Ashkenazi Jewish populations in which a particularly high prevalence of BRCA gene mutations has been found.

Professor King continues to explore the genetic foundations and environmental factors associated with human diseases, including cancer, hearing impairment, and schizophrenia. As a member of the Human Genome Diversity Project, Professor King is helping shed light on the processes of human evolution and their implications for health. Her ongoing collaborations with colleagues in Israel will benefit the people of Israel and the greater world community. Professor King has been honored with numerous international awards and is a member of the Academy of Sciences of the United States, and 2014 recipient of the prestigious Lasker Award.