Date of birth: 27/02/1946

Wikipedia

BIOGRAPHY

Mary-Claire King is an American geneticist. Initially a mathematician, transitioned to genetics research and significantly impacted cancer genetics and human rights. She began by studying the genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees, showing a closer genetic relationship than previously believed.

After turning her focus to breast cancer genetics in the 1970s, she hypothesized that some familial breast cancers were linked to genetic mutations. In 1990, she identified chromosome 17q21 as the location for a susceptibility gene, later named BRCA1. Though others sequenced BRCA1 first, her work fundamentally changed the understanding of genetic links to cancer. King also pioneered genetic methods for identifying missing children in human rights cases, including Argentina’s "Dirty War" victims, using techniques like mitochondrial DNA sequencing. Her groundbreaking work has influenced both genetic screening for cancer and the use of genomics in human rights investigations.

King is a professor at the University of Washington, with research interests spanning cancer genetics, schizophrenia, and genetic disorders in children. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Lasker Award and the National Medal of Science.