Prof. Mary-Claire King is 2018 Dan David Laureate

Prof. Mary-Claire King, Sackler Lecturer 2012/2013, was awarded the 2018 Dan David Prize. Prof. King is a molecular geneticist and a world leader in human genetics. She is an American Cancer Society Professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Medical Genetics) and the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has made major contributions to the study of the molecular causes of common complex human disease. Her seminal finding was the demonstration of inherited predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer as the result of mutations in a single gene, which she named BRCA1. This game-changing discovery led to the understanding of hereditary cancer predisposition and revolutionized clinical approaches to screening for inherited cancer risk, to individualizing interventions, and to tailoring rational therapy. Prof. King’s research interests also include the genetic bases of schizophrenia, the genetic causes of congenital disorders in children, and human evolution. She also pioneered the use of DNA sequencing for human rights investigations. The Mortimer and Raymond Sackler Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) offers its warmest congratulations to its past Sackler Lecturer on receiving this Prize. 

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