James D. Watson | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Chicago, Indiana University |
Known for | DNA structure, Molecular biology |
Awards | Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1962); Copley Medal (1993)[1] |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Genetics |
Institutions | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Harvard University; University of Cambridge; National Institutes of Health |
Doctoral advisor | Salvador Luria |
James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) is an American molecular biologist and zoologist.
Watson is of British ancestry. He is best known as one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953.
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".[2]
He studied at the University of Chicago and Indiana University and later worked at the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory. He met Crick at the Cavendish and they became friends.
Watson has received 19 honorary doctorates.