Dr. Thomas Kunkel stands as a preeminent leader in the field of genomic stability and DNA replication fidelity. He currently serves as an NIH Distinguished Investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health, where he leads the DNA Replication Fidelity Group within the Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory. Dr. Kunkel earned his BA in Biology from Thomas More University followed by MS and PhD degrees in Developmental Biology from the University of Cincinnati. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, he joined NIEHS in 1982 and has since established himself as a cornerstone of the institute's research enterprise, previously serving as Chief of the Laboratory of Structural Biology and becoming a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Dr. Kunkel's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of DNA replication accuracy, with his seminal discoveries spanning more than four decades. He pioneered methodologies for site-specific mutagenesis that revolutionized molecular genetics research in the 1980s and made critical contributions to elucidating the mechanisms of DNA mismatch repair, including the requirement for PCNA in the repair process. His laboratory's unexpected discovery that DNA polymerases incorporate ribonucleotides into DNA during normal replication challenged established paradigms and opened an entirely new field of investigation into genome instability. This work has profound implications for understanding mutation rates and the molecular basis of human diseases, establishing Kunkel as the international authority on the precision of chromosome replication as noted by Nobel laureate Paul Modrich.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Kunkel has profoundly shaped the field through his impeccable integrity, exemplary mentorship, and ability to deliver outstanding scientific presentations as highlighted by his National Academy of Sciences nomination. His election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2024 represents the culmination of sustained excellence and recognition by his peers as one of the foremost authorities in genomic stability. Dr. Kunkel's current research continues to investigate the intricate division of labor among DNA polymerases at the eukaryotic replication fork and the evolutionary consequences of ribonucleotide incorporation into DNA. As he continues his work at NIEHS, his laboratory remains at the forefront of elucidating the molecular mechanisms that maintain genome integrity, with implications spanning from fundamental biological processes to environmental health and disease.
