James Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist.¹⁾

He was born on April 6, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, United States.²⁾

Watson is best known for his role in the discovery of the structure of DNA.³⁾

Along with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, Watson elucidated the double helix structure of DNA in 1953.⁴⁾

This groundbreaking discovery laid the foundation for modern molecular biology and genetics.⁵⁾

Watson attended the University of Chicago for undergraduate studies, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology.⁶⁾

He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in zoology from Indiana University in 1950.⁷⁾

Watson's interest in genetics and molecular biology was sparked during his graduate studies.⁸⁾

After completing his Ph.D., Watson worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.⁹⁾

In 1951, Watson moved to the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in England, where he met Francis Crick.¹⁰⁾

Watson and Crick began their collaboration, which ultimately led to the discovery of the DNA double helix.¹¹⁾

Their model, based partly on X-ray diffraction data collected by Rosalind Franklin, proposed the structure of DNA as a double helix made up of two strands.¹²⁾

Watson and Crick's model suggested a mechanism for DNA replication and provided insights into how genetic information is stored and transmitted.¹³⁾

In 1962, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material.¹⁴⁾

Following the DNA discovery, Watson continued to make significant contributions to molecular biology and genetics.¹⁵⁾

He served as the director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory from 1968 to 1993.¹⁶⁾

Under his leadership, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory became a leading center for research in molecular biology and genetics.¹⁷⁾

Watson played a key role in the Human Genome Project, an international effort to sequence and map the entire human genome.¹⁸⁾

He advocated for the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) research associated with the Human Genome Project.¹⁹⁾

Despite his scientific achievements, Watson has been a controversial figure due to his controversial statements on race and intelligence.²⁰⁾

In 2007, Watson sparked outrage and condemnation for suggesting that differences in intelligence between racial groups could be attributed to genetics.²¹⁾