J. Craig Venter

Founder, Chairman, and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), J. Craig Venter, PhD is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his contributions to genomic research. JCVI is a not-for-profit, research and support organization whose most recent achievement includes the publication of the first diploid human genome.

Dr. Venter's successes include developing Expressed Sequence Tags, a revolutionary new strategy for rapid gene discovery. He also founded The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), where he and his team decoded the genome of the first free-living organism using his new whole genome shotgun technique.

Dr. Venter also founded Celera Genomics, where he and his team sequenced the human genome. Their work culminated in the 2001 publication of the human genome in the journal, Science.

Authoring over 200 articles, Dr. Venter has received numerous honorary degrees, public honors, and scientific awards, including the 2001 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize and the 2002 Gairdner Foundation International Award.

Dr. Venter holds a PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of California, San Diego.