James Watson

James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) is an American molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. He is best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin. Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material".

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Watson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 6, 1928, to Jean (Mitchell) and James D. Watson, a businessman descended from colonial English immigrants to America. He was educated at the public Horace Mann Grammar School and South Shore High School in Chicago before going on to earn degrees at the University of Chicago (B.S., Zoology, 1947) and Indiana University Bloomington (Ph.D., Zoology, 1950).

Career and research[edit | edit source]

Watson's career has spanned academia, research, and public service. He has held positions at the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he served as director and president for many years. His research has focused on the molecular structure of nucleic acids and their role in the transmission of genetic information.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Watson married Elizabeth Lewis in 1968 and they have two sons. He is known for his outspoken views on a variety of subjects, which have sometimes caused controversy.

Awards and honors[edit | edit source]

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Watson has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Copley Medal from the Royal Society, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the National Medal of Science.

Controversies[edit | edit source]

Watson has been involved in several controversies over his career, most notably for his comments on race and intelligence, which led to his retirement from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 2007.

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

James Watson Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates

Translate this page: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, தமிழ், తెలుగు, Urdu, ಕನ್ನಡ, Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, বাংলা
European español, Deutsch, français, Greek, português do Brasil, polski, română, русский, Nederlands, norsk, svenska, suomi, Italian
Middle Eastern & African عربى, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Kiswahili,
Other Bulgarian, Hungarian, Czech, Swedish, മലയാളം, मराठी, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, ગુજરાતી, Portuguese, Ukrainian

Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.