2026 Joan A. Steitz: Molecular Biology Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Best Female Scientists	135	282	267	175	165	365	69976
Molecular Biology	134	158	141	101	90	335	69479

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Best Female Scientists Award
2025 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award

Overview

Joan A. Steitz is affiliated with Yale University in the United States and has contributed extensively to the fields of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology. Their research predominantly focuses on Molecular Biology, specifically RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, RNA research and splicing, and RNA modifications related to cancer. Additional research interests include Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics, Infectious Diseases, and Cancer Research.

Steitz's recent publications demonstrate engagement with various molecular and infectious disease topics. Notable papers include:

"Hyperosmotic stress alters the RNA polymerase II interactome and induces readthrough transcription despite widespread transcriptional repression," 2021, published in Molecular Cell
"SARS-CoV-2 expresses a microRNA-like small RNA able to selectively repress host genes," 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
"Who let the DoGs out? - biogenesis of stress-induced readthrough transcripts," 2021, Trends in Biochemical Sciences
"RNA stabilization by a poly(A) tail 3'-end binding pocket and other modes of poly(A)-RNA interaction," 2021, Science
"STL-seq reveals pause-release and termination kinetics for promoter-proximal paused RNA polymerase II transcripts," 2021, Molecular Cell

Frequent co-authors collaborating with Steitz include Nicolle A. Rosa-Mercado, Joshua T. Zimmer, Matthew D. Simon, Seyed-Fakhreddin Torabi, and Suzanne J. DeGregorio. These collaborators have co-authored multiple papers, indicating consistent research partnerships.

The scientist's research has been published in several key venues beyond Molecular Cell and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, such as bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Trends in Biochemical Sciences, and Science. Molecular Cell and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences are the most frequent publication venues.

Main research topics covered in Steitz's work include:

RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
RNA Research and Splicing
RNA modifications and cancer
Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research
Animal Virus Infections Studies

Best Publications

Switching from repression to activation: microRNAs can up-regulate translation.

Shobha Vasudevan;Yingchun Tong;Joan A. Steitz

3493
Citations
Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity.

C.M. Counter;A.A. Avilion;C.E. LeFeuvre;N.G. Stewart

2858
Citations
The noncoding RNA revolution-trashing old rules to forge new ones.

Thomas R. Cech;Thomas R. Cech;Joan A. Steitz

2467
Citations
Are snRNPs involved in splicing

Michael R. Lerner;John A. Boyle;Stephen M. Mount;Sandra L. Wolin

1567
Citations
Target mRNAs are repressed as efficiently by microRNA-binding sites in the 5' UTR as in the 3' UTR.

J. Robin Lytle;Therese A. Yario;Joan A. Steitz

1493
Citations
Antibodies to small nuclear RNAs complexed with proteins are produced by patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Michael Rush Lerner;Joan Argetsinger Steitz

1420
Citations
A general two-metal-ion mechanism for catalytic RNA

Thomas A. Steitz;Joan A. Steitz

1396
Citations
HuR and mRNA stability

C. M. Brennan;J. A. Steitz

1265
Citations
OVEREXPRESSION OF HUR, A NUCLEAR-CYTOPLASMIC SHUTTLING PROTEIN, INCREASES THE IN VIVO STABILITY OF ARE-CONTAINING MRNAS

Xinhao Cynthia Fan;Joan A. Steitz

1069
Citations
How ribosomes select initiator regions in mRNA: base pair formation between the 3' terminus of 16S rRNA and the mRNA during initiation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli.

Joan Argetsinger Steitz;Karen Jakes

892
Citations
Identification of a sex-factor-affinity site in E. coli as gamma delta

M. S. Guyer;R. R. Reed;J. A. Steitz;K. B. Low

860
Citations
Monoclonal antibodies to nucleic acid-containing cellular constituents: probes for molecular biology and autoimmune disease

Ethan A. Lerner;Michael R. Lerner;Charles A. Janeway;Joan A. Steitz

852
Citations
AU-Rich-Element-Mediated Upregulation of Translation by FXR1 and Argonaute 2

Shobha Vasudevan;Joan A. Steitz

805
Citations
Polypeptide Chain Initiation: Nucleotide Sequences of the Three Ribosomal Binding Sites in Bacteriophage R17 RNA

Joan Argetsinger Steitz

745
Citations
Two small RNAs encoded by Epstein-Barr virus and complexed with protein are precipitated by antibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Michael R. Lerner;Nancy C. Andrews;George Miller;Joan A. Steitz

725
Citations
U2 as well as U1 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins are involved in premessenger RNA splicing

Douglas L. Black;Benoit Chabot;Joan A. Steitz

710
Citations
The U1 small nuclear RNA-protein complex selectively binds a 5' splice site in vitro.

Stephen M. Mount;Ingvar Pettersson;Monique Hinterberger;Aavo Karmas

691
Citations
HNS, a nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling sequence in HuR

Xinhao Cynthia Fan;Joan A. Steitz

669
Citations
Human Upf proteins target an mRNA for nonsense-mediated decay when bound downstream of a termination codon.

Jens Lykke-Andersen;Mei-Di Shu;Joan A. Steitz

662
Citations
遺伝子の分子生物学 = Molecular biology of the gene

James Dewey Watson;Nancy Hopkins;Jeffrey W Roberts;Joan Argetsinger Steitz

2
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Sandra L. Wolin National Cancer Institute

John A. Hardin Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Richard A. Young MIT

Thomas A. Steitz Yale University

Tetsuro Hirose Osaka University

Benoit Chabot Université de Sherbrooke

Daniel DiMaio Yale University

Jimin Wang Yale University

Erik J. Sontheimer University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Nancy Hopkins MIT

External Links

Wikipedia of Joan A. Steitz Personal website of Joan A. Steitz

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