Leemor Joshua-Tor

Leemor Joshua-Tor is a Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). She has held academic leadership roles, including Dean of the Watson School of Biological Sciences (2007–2012) and Director of Research at CSHL (since 2024). Her research focuses on structural biology and nucleic acid regulatory processes, particularly RNA interference (RNAi) and DNA replication.

• B.Sc., Chemistry, Tel-Aviv University
• Ph.D., Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science (1991)
• Postdoctoral Research, California Institute of Technology

Her lab uses cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography to study protein complexes involved in RNAi and DNA replication. Key contributions include identifying Argonaute as the RNAi 'Slicer' enzyme and elucidating structures of helicases like E1. Recent work explores GW182-Argonaute interactions and ORC function in DNA replication.

Articles highlight her focus on molecular mechanisms of gene regulation and structural biology, with implications for cancer therapies and molecular medicine.

• Awards: NAS, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, HHMI Investigator (2008)

She advises students and postdocs, mentors women in science, and collaborates with institutions like Brookhaven National Lab. Leadership emphasizes interdisciplinary research and diversity in STEM.