Dr. John Rinn is a distinguished molecular biologist renowned for his pioneering work on the non-coding genome and long noncoding RNAs. He currently serves as Professor and Leslie Orgel Professor of RNA Science at the University of Colorado Boulder BioFrontiers Institute where he leads research bridging computational and experimental sciences to uncover RNA's crucial roles across the human genome. Prior to his appointment at CU Boulder Dr Rinn was a prominent faculty member at Harvard University, serving as Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and later becoming the Alvin and Esta Star Associate Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, while also serving as an associate member of the Broad Institute. His academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University and postdoctoral training as a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellow at Stanford University.
Dr. Rinn's groundbreaking research fundamentally transformed our understanding of the non-coding genome challenging the long-held belief that non-protein-coding regions were merely junk DNA. His laboratory was among the first to discover thousands of long noncoding RNAs encoded in the human genome revealing their critical regulatory functions in cellular processes. In 2006 he made a seminal discovery of a genetic ZIP code mechanism that orients and redirects cells providing crucial insights into cellular behavior and organization. His work demonstrating that lincRNAs play essential roles in viability fertility and development has established them as central players in genome regulation and disease processes including cancer immune signaling and stem cell development.
Recognized as one of the top 1% influential scientists of the decade by the Web of Science in Genetics and Molecular Biology Dr Rinn's contributions have earned him numerous prestigious honors including the NIH Directors Innovator Award and appointment to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Scholars program. His research has increasingly focused on translating fundamental discoveries into therapeutic applications recently launching the biotechnology company LincSWITCH to develop novel RNA-based treatments for human diseases. As the leader of a highly collaborative research group that employs cutting-edge techniques including single-molecule RNA imaging and CRISPR-Display Dr Rinn continues to push the boundaries of RNA science. His ongoing work promises to unlock new frontiers in understanding and manipulating the non-coding genome potentially revolutionizing approaches to treating numerous human diseases through RNA therapeutics.
