James Watson

James Watson is a Professor at the Harvard Biology Department since 1961. He previously served as Associate Professor (1958–1961) and Assistant Professor (1956–1958) at Harvard, Senior Research Fellow in Biology at the California Institute of Technology (1953–1955), and Merck Fellow of the National Research Council in Copenhagen (1950–1951). His groundbreaking work in molecular biology includes the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.

His research interests span classical biology, molecular biology, ecology, developmental biology, taxonomy, and physiology. Watson has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine, the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award (1960), and the Eli Lilly Award in Biochemistry (1959).

Watson is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Academia Europaea (elected 1998). He also holds foreign membership in the Danish Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as a consultant to the President's Scientific Advisory Committee.