Andrew Z. Fire holds the distinguished position of George D. Smith Professor in Molecular and Genetic Medicine and Professor of Pathology and Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine. Born in Palo Alto, California in 1959, he earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1978 before pursuing doctoral studies in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Nobel laureate Philip A. Sharp. After completing his PhD in 1983, Fire conducted postdoctoral research at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England with Sydney Brenner. In 1986, he joined the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Embryology in Baltimore, where he conducted his pioneering work on RNA interference before moving to Stanford in 2003.
Fire is renowned for his co-discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), a fundamental biological process in which double-stranded RNA molecules silence specific genes, a breakthrough that earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2006. Working with Craig C. Mello at the Carnegie Institution, Fire demonstrated that RNAi is a naturally occurring mechanism that regulates gene activity and defends against viral infections across plants, animals, and humans. Their landmark 1998 publication revolutionized molecular biology by providing a powerful tool for gene silencing that has enabled researchers to systematically investigate gene function. This discovery has profound implications for developing treatments for diseases including cancer, AIDS, and hepatitis, and has transformed genetic research methodology worldwide.
As a senior leader in molecular genetics, Fire continues to investigate the mechanisms that enable cells to distinguish foreign DNA and RNA from their own genetic material, advancing our understanding of cellular defense systems. His laboratory at Stanford explores how RNAi and other genetic mechanisms allow cells to adapt to developmental changes and respond to environmental challenges including pathogen exposure. Fire has trained numerous scientists who have gone on to make significant contributions to the field of molecular biology and genetics. His ongoing research continues to illuminate fundamental biological processes with potential applications in both basic science and therapeutic development.
