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ResearcherScientist

Jennifer A. Doudna

Biochemist

University of California, Berkeley

United States

Jennifer A. Doudna is a researcher affiliated with University of California, Berkeley. This profile connects verified scholarly identity information and publication records from OpenAlex and DOI sources. Research areas include CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, RNA Research and Splicing, RNA modifications and cancer, Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques.

Read biography ↓
Publications723Total indexed works
Citations122,965Source-reported citations
h-index151Source-reported h-index
i10-index412Source-reported i10-index

Biography, research & contributions

Research background

Jennifer Doudna is a biochemist whose work includes RNA structure and function and the development of CRISPR-based genome editing. She completed her doctorate at Harvard Medical School in 1989. Her collaboration with Emmanuelle Charpentier led to the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Source: Nobel Prize: 2020 Chemistry award ↗

The CRISPR-Cas9 contribution

Doudna and Charpentier’s teams investigated a bacterial defence system and demonstrated that its RNA-guided cutting mechanism could be programmed. Their 2012 study showed how RNA molecules direct Cas9 to specific DNA sequences and how the system could be simplified for programmable cleavage. This biochemical result helped establish a practical route towards genome-editing tools.

Source: Jinek and colleagues, Science 337, 816–821 (2012) ↗

Why the work matters

A programmable way to target DNA lets researchers investigate gene function and develop methods for changing genetic sequences. The Nobel background describes applications across basic biology, plant research and medical investigation. The original biochemical experiment and later editing methods used in cells are related stages of a wider research programme; many groups contributed to that development.

Source: Nobel Prize: development of the genetic scissors ↗

Selected reading and wider questions

Read the 2012 paper, A Programmable Dual-RNA-Guided DNA Endonuclease in Adaptive Bacterial Immunity, for the experimental foundation. Doudna’s coauthored book A Crack in Creation discusses the research and its societal implications. Her public work also addresses responsible use of genome editing, including questions that scientific capability alone cannot settle.

Source: Nobel Prize: Doudna’s research and public engagement ↗

At a glance

Full name
Jennifer A. Doudna
Fields
Biochemistry, Chemistry, Genetics
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9161-999X
OpenAlex ID
A5067184382

Research interests

  • RNA biology
  • CRISPR-Cas systems
  • Genome editing
  • Structural biochemistry

Research topics

Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesCRISPR and Genetic EngineeringRNA and protein synthesis mechanismsRNA modifications and cancerRNA Research and Splicing

Education

  • 1989 — PhD, Harvard Medical School

Selected research & further reading

A curated reading list, not a ranking by citation count. References use DOI metadata, matching public scholarly records or authoritative lecture sources.

Citation & publication trends

Annual source counts; separate scales. OpenAlex coverage may be incomplete for historical researchers.

■ Publications■ Citations
View exact annual counts
YearPublicationsCitations
1987123
19896494
19902116
19915320
19932148
199412
19953197
199652001
19976477
199861171
199910939
2000111127
2001161753
200281365
2003448
200412803
200512746
2006111697
2007131007
200882037
200981538
2010131288
2011163263
20121820857
20132616025
20143414813
2015375753
2016398629
2017508252
2018379603
2019281613
2020396223
2021442663
2022342029
2023402089
2024391246
202529499
202650111

Source: OpenAlex · Retrieved 2026-10-03T03:35:56+00:00. Metrics are database-specific and are not a scientific ranking.

Most-cited linked publications

  1. 4record citations
  2. 4record citations
  3. 3record citations
  4. 1record citations
  5. 1record citations

Recent linked publications

  4. Reprogramming Cas9 PAM Recognition for Allele-Specific Editing2026-08-11 · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Journals published in

Related publishers

Institutions

Current verified institution

No verified record links added yet.

Previous institutions

No verified record links added yet.

Awards & honors

  • 2020 — Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with Emmanuelle Charpentier

Career timeline

  • 1989 — PhD, Harvard Medical School
  • 2020 — Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with Emmanuelle Charpentier

Co-authors

Education & career institution links

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Sources & data information

Editorial review: 2026-10-03 · Last data update: 2026-10-03T03:35:56+00:00

Unknown values are left blank. Linked publications may be a subset of total works. Identity verification, data retrieval and profile ownership are separate checks.

Portrait source & license

Portrait reuse license · Image resized for display.

Portrait: Christopher Michel · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cite this profile

Jennifer A. Doudna. JournalsWorld. Accessed October 3, 2026.

https://journalsworld.com/researchers/jennifer-a-doudna/