Jennifer Doudna's Journey from Student to Scientist and Mentor

The 2026 Priestley Medalist and Nobel laureate struggled with finding her way through school before achieving the greatest feats in science

Feb. 23, 2026 at 11:35am

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Jennifer Doudna's work uncovering the gene-editing capabilities of CRISPR has helped cure genetic diseases and unlock a new evolutionary era. Doudna's path to her award-winning work has always been driven by a love of science. Ahead of her 2026 Priestley Medal address, she talks about her story and why her focus is now on the next generation of scientists in her lab.

Why it matters

Doudna's pioneering work on CRISPR has revolutionized the field of gene editing, opening up new possibilities for treating genetic diseases and shaping the future of human evolution. Her journey from a struggling student to a renowned scientist and mentor serves as an inspiration, highlighting the power of perseverance, curiosity, and a passion for science.

The details

Doudna, born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Hawaii, where her love for the natural world and science was fostered. Despite initial struggles and doubts during her time at Pomona College, she found her calling in biochemistry and went on to pursue graduate studies at Harvard University. Her work on ribozymes and RNA structure laid the groundwork for her groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR gene-editing system, which she developed in collaboration with researchers around the world. Doudna's success has been marked by serendipitous moments, strategic collaborations, and a relentless drive to understand the fundamental mechanisms of life.

  • Doudna was born in Washington, D.C.
  • Doudna grew up in Hawaii, where she developed a deep love for the natural world and science.
  • Doudna attended Pomona College in California, where she initially struggled but eventually found her passion in biochemistry.
  • Doudna pursued graduate studies at Harvard University, where she made significant contributions to the understanding of ribozymes and RNA structure.
  • Doudna conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado Boulder and Yale University, where she continued her work on RNA structural biology and began collaborating on the CRISPR system.

The players

Jennifer Doudna

A renowned scientist and 2026 Priestley Medalist, Doudna is known for her pioneering work on the CRISPR gene-editing system, which has revolutionized the field of genetics and opened up new possibilities for treating genetic diseases.

Jack W. Szostak

Doudna's graduate advisor at Harvard University, who later won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on telomeres.

Thomas Cech

A Nobel Prize-winning scientist in whose lab Doudna conducted postdoctoral research, focusing on the Tetrahymena ribozyme.

Joan and Thomas Steitz

Yale University professors who collaborated with Doudna on the structural determination of the Tetrahymena ribozyme using cryogenic electron microscopy.

Jill Banfield

A Berkeley microbiologist who introduced Doudna to the CRISPR system, leading to her groundbreaking work on the gene-editing technology.

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What they’re saying

“I deeply love Hawaii. I love the culture there. It's a very special place. I'm fascinated by the history there, not only the sociology and kind of the people and the populations but also the natural history.”

— Jennifer Doudna

“I remember telling my father that I was pretty unhappy and I was thinking about leaving. But my father convinced me to try one more term at Pomona. I headed back and found my place thanks to a few good friends and a course in organic chemistry. 'I loved it, and I was good at it,' she says. 'That had me hooked. After that semester, I was like, 'Nope, this is working for me. I like this place.'”

— Jennifer Doudna

“I loved the science so much. I loved working in the lab. So I was always asking myself, 'How do I do more?'”

— Jennifer Doudna

“I never pulled my first all-nighter until I was writing my first NIH [National Institutes of Health] grant at Yale. But at a California writing retreat, Doudna stayed up until the small hours of the morning. She spent that time writing under the covers of her bed, trying to keep the chill desert air at bay as the heat was broken at the house, desperately trying to finish her paper on human genome editing with CRISPR.”

— Jennifer Doudna

“I've sort of been thrust into it. And I think it's incredibly important, especially when we have technologies like CRISPR that are, on the one hand, very powerful and on the other hand, come along with significant risk.”

— Jennifer Doudna

What’s next

Doudna plans to reduce the size of her lab in the near future to spend more time mentoring the next generation of scientists and preparing them for the future, where she hopes to see them become a force for positive change.

The takeaway

Doudna's journey from a struggling student to a renowned scientist and Nobel laureate is a testament to the power of perseverance, curiosity, and a deep passion for science. Her work on CRISPR has revolutionized the field of gene editing, and her focus on mentoring the next generation of scientists reflects her commitment to fostering a joyful and impactful scientific community.