Gerald Joyce

Gerald Joyce is a Professor and President at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. His work focuses on in vitro evolution, RNA catalysis, and synthetic biology to explore early life origins and develop therapeutic nucleic acid enzymes.

• BA, Biological Sciences, University of Chicago
• MD and PhD, Medicine/Neurosciences & Chemistry, University of California, San Diego

Research Highlights: Pioneered RNA and DNA enzyme engineering, enabling self-replicating systems and clinical trials for cancer/immune therapies. Developed cross-chiral RNA enzymes to study homochirality in prebiotic chemistry.

Key Collaborations: Led teams at Salk, mentoring over 30 alumni now in academia, industry, and research leadership roles.

Awards & Honors
• Royal Irish Academy (2025)
• National Academy of Medicine (2014)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012)
• Harvard Origins Prize (2016)

Labs & Teams: Directs the Chemical Biology and Proteomics Laboratory at Salk, fostering interdisciplinary research between chemists and biologists.