Joan Steitz, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Dr. Steitz is Sterling Professor of Molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University School of Medicine and, since 1986, an Investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  She received her Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and molecular biology (with James Watson) from Harvard University and did postdoctoral work at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (with Francis Crick) in Cambridge, England.  Her honors include the Passano Foundation Young Scientist Award, the Eli Lilly Award in biological chemistry, the U.S. Steel Award in molecular biology, the National Medal of Science, the Dickson Prize for science, the Warren Triennial Prize (shared with Thomas Cech), the Christopher Columbus Discovery Award in biomedical research, the Weizmann Women and Science Award, the City of Medicine Award, L’Oreal Award for Women in Science with the support of UNESCO, the Thirty-First Annual Lewis S. Rosensteil Award, the RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award, and the FASEB Excellence in Science Award.  Dr. Steitz is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.