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Dr. Hood is recognized as one of the world's leading scientists in molecular biotechnology and genomics. Dr. Hood earned a medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University in 1964 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1968. His research has focused on the study of molecular immunology and biotechnology. Dr. Hood has published more than 600 peer-reviewed papers, received 12 patents, and co-authored textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, genetics, and systems biology. Dr Hood is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Association of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. His professional career began at Caltech where he and his colleagues developed four instruments the DNA gene sequence and synthesizer, and the protein sequencer and synthesizer which comprise the technological foundation for modern molecular biology. In particular, the DNA sequencer has revolutionized genomics by allowing the rapid automated sequencing of DNA. In 2000, Dr. Hood founded the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington, to develop systems approaches to biology and medicine. He serves as President of the Institute and continues to pursue his interests in biology, medicine, technology, development, and computational biology. Dr. Hood has played a role in founding numerous biotechnology companies and his lifelong contributions to biotechnology have earned him the 2003 Lemelson-MIT Prize for Invention and Innovation, the 2006 Heinz Medal, the 2002 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, and he was presented the Lasker Award in 1987 for his studies on the mechanism of immune diversity. | 