James Watson

James Watson was an outstanding figure in science, having carried out crucial work in the discovery of the structure of DNA, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. His essential discoveries in the field of biology were decisive in shaping the course of Science as we know it today.

He was with us almost from the beginning and his vision and intelligence shone out. He was the first president of the Champalimaud Foundation’s Scientific Council, and in that capacity he organised a meeting in 2005 at Cold Spring Harbor, the institution he directed and where he spent much of his life. 

There, alongside some of the world’s most renowned scientists, we defined the Champalimaud Foundation’s operating model, focusing on the translation between research and clinical practice. I also recall his words and eloquence at the inauguration of the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in 2010, and his constant inspiration.

The Champalimaud Foundation will forever be in debt to James Watson, and he is part of the Champalimaud Foundation’s DNA.