Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Discovered BRCA1 and founded the field of inherited cancer genetics
Ph.D., American Cancer Society Professor of Genome Sciences and of Medical Genetics, U. of Washington School of Medicine
Biography
Mary-Claire King is a pioneering human geneticist best known for proving that breast and ovarian cancer can be inherited. In 1990, Dr. King and her team discovered the BRCA1 gene, which is responsible for a significant proportion of inherited breast and ovarian cancer cases. The finding came after roughly 17 years of research against prevailing scientific opinion, and it transformed cancer diagnosis, risk assessment, drug development, and prevention. Earlier, her doctoral work demonstrated through comparative protein analysis that chimpanzees and humans are 99 percent genetically identical. She also pioneered the use of DNA sequencing for human rights investigations, applying it to identify kidnapped children in Argentina and cases of human rights violations on six continents. Her current work spans inherited breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer; schizophrenia; and severe inherited disorders in children. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.
