Randy Schekman is a distinguished cell biologist whose pioneering work has profoundly shaped our understanding of cellular transport mechanisms. He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he leads the Schekman Laboratory investigating membrane assembly and vesicular traffic in eukaryotic cells. After receiving his BA in molecular biology from UCLA in 1971, he pursued doctoral studies at Stanford University, earning his PhD in 1975 for research on DNA replication under Nobel laureate Arthur Kornberg. His early career was further developed through his time as a postdoctoral researcher in Biology at the University of California, San Diego from 1974 to 1976, working with S. J. Singer, where he cultivated his enduring interest in cellular membranes and transport systems.
Dr. Schekman's groundbreaking research elucidated the genetic basis of vesicle transport within eukaryotic cells, revealing how bubblelike vesicles transport molecules such as enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters to specific cellular destinations through a highly orchestrated process. His innovative use of yeast genetics to identify key genes involved in the vesicle transport system represented a fundamental breakthrough that explained how cellular cargo is precisely delivered within cells. This work established the molecular framework for understanding numerous diseases resulting from failures in vesicle trafficking, including neurological disorders, diabetes, and immunological conditions. The significance of his contributions was recognized with the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with James E. Rothman and Thomas C. Südhof for their collective insights into the exquisitely precise control system governing cellular transport.
Beyond his Nobel Prize-winning research, Schekman has significantly influenced scientific publishing through his service as editor-in-chief of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from 2006 to 2011, followed by his founding editorship of the open-access journal eLife from 2011 to 2019, where he championed transparency and accessibility in scientific communication. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1991, he has consistently driven innovative research while mentoring generations of cell biologists. Since 2018, he has assumed leadership in Parkinson's disease research as the head of the ASAP initiative, which coordinates basic research efforts to advance understanding of disease mechanisms. His laboratory continues to explore the biogenesis and sorting of small RNAs into extracellular vesicles, extending his lifelong investigation of cellular transport mechanisms into new therapeutic frontiers.
