Jeremy Nathans, MD, PhD

Professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neuroscience and Ophthalmology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Dr. Jeremy Nathans received his undergraduate degree in Life Sciences and Chemistry from MIT and earned his PhD in Biochemistry and his MD from Stanford University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech, Inc. In 1988, he joined the Johns Hopkins faculty.

Dr. Nathans is responsible for landmark discoveries that have changed our understanding of how humans see the world. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of visual system development, function and disease, especially related to the function of the retina and causes of retinal disease. His early investigations into the mechanisms that allow us to see colors led him to identify the genes that code for color-vision receptors in the light-sensing cones of the retina. His most recent work on retinal vascular disease has led to the development of a new therapeutic approach to diabetic retinopathy. His discoveries have had major translational impact. Further, his development of novel drug development technologies, such as a preclinical assay using eye-movement signatures in mice, has advanced the field significantly.

For his groundbreaking work on the genetics of human color vision, Dr. Nathans has won many awards, including the 2020 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, which recognizes transformative contributions to science on an international scale.