Ronald Breaker, PhD, BS
Biography
Research & Publications
News
Appointments
Biography
Dr. Breaker is a Sterling Professor of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University, is jointly appointed as a professor in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, and is an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His graduate studies with Dr. Peter Gilham at Purdue University focused on the synthesis of RNA and the catalytic properties of nucleic acids. As a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Gerald Joyce at The Scripps Research Institute, Dr. Breaker pioneered a variety of in vitro evolution strategies to isolate novel RNA enzymes and was the first to discover catalytic DNAs or “deoxyribozymes” using this technology. Since establishing his laboratory at Yale in 1995, Dr. Breaker has continued to conduct research on the advanced functions of nucleic acids, including ribozyme reaction mechanisms, molecular switch technology, next-generation biosensors, and catalytic DNA engineering. In addition, his laboratory has established the first proofs that metabolites are directly bound by messenger RNA elements called riboswitches. Dr. Breaker’s research findings have been published in more than 220 scientific papers, book chapters, and patent applications, and his research has been funded by grants from the NIH, NSF, DARPA, the Hereditary Disease Foundation, and from several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Hellman Family Trust. In recognition of his research accomplishments at Yale, Dr. Breaker received the Arthur Greer Memorial Prize (1997), the Eli Lilly Award in Microbiology (2005), the Molecular Biology Award from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2006), and the Merck Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2016). Dr. Breaker was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2014. He has cofounded two biotechnology companies and is a scientific advisor for industry and for various government agencies. He serves on the editorial board for the scientific journals RNA Biology, RNA, and Cell Chemical Biology.
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral FellowThe Scripps Research Institute (1995)
- PhDPurdue University, Biology/Biochemistry (1992)
- Ph.D.Purdue University (1992)
- BSUniversity of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Biology/Chemistry (1987)
- B.S.University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (1987)
Honors & Recognition
Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
---|---|---|
Huck Distinguished Lecturer | Penn State University | 2022 |
Member | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | 2021 |
Sterling Professor | Yale University | 2017 |
Chan Lecture | UC-Berkeley | 2016 |
ASBMB-Merck Award | American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2016 |
Distinguished Alumni Award | Purdue University | 2014 |
Leslie Orgel Memorial Lecture | Salk Institute | 2013 |
Member | US National Academy of Sciences | 2013 |
Rolf Sammet Professorship | Sanofi-Aventis | 2012 |
Arun Guthikonda Memorial Award | Columbia University | 2007 |
Molecular Biology Award | U.S. National Academy of Sciences | 2006 |
Eli Lilly Award | American Society for Microbiology | 2005 |
Departments & Organizations
- Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BQBS)
- Center for RNA Science and Medicine
- Developmental Therapeutics
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Ventures