# Gary Ruvkun

_American geneticist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/gary-ruvkun
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Gary Bruce Ruvkun (born March 26, 1952) is an American molecular biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 26 March 1952 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Berkeley ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P27))
- **Occupation:** geneticist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P106))
- **Education:** Harvard Medical School; University of California, Berkeley ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P69))
- **Spouse:** Natasha Staller ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P26))
- **Awards:** Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research; Benjamin Franklin Medal; Wolf Prize in Medicine; Canada Gairdner International Award; Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize; Gruber Prize in Genetics; March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology; Massry Prize; Rosenstiel Award; Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences; Longevity Prize; Dan David Prize; Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research; Clarivate Citation Laureates; Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P166))
- **LinkedIn:** gary-ruvkun-46a42a110 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021#P6634))

## About

Ruvkun discovered the mechanism by which lin-4, the first microRNA (miRNA) discovered by Victor Ambros, regulates the translation of target messenger RNAs via imperfect base-pairing to those targets, and discovered the second miRNA, let-7, and that it is conserved across animal phylogeny, including in humans. These miRNA discoveries revealed a new world of RNA regulation at an unprecedented small size scale, and the mechanism of that regulation.  Ruvkun also discovered many features of insulin-like signaling in the regulation of aging and metabolism.

He was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019. Ruvkun was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

## Questions

**When was Gary Ruvkun born?**  
Gary Ruvkun was born on 26 March 1952 in Berkeley.

**Where did Gary Ruvkun study?**  
Gary Ruvkun was educated at Harvard Medical School, University of California, Berkeley.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Gary Ruvkun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ruvkun) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q504021](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504021) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Gary Ruvkun, 2024 Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine.jpg by Arthur Petron (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gary_Ruvkun,_2024_Nobel_Prize_Laureate_in_Medicine.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Gary Ruvkun, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Gary Ruvkun, 2024 Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine.jpg — Arthur Petron, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Gary Ruvkun". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/gary-ruvkun. Retrieved 5 November 2026.