World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Molecular Biology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Molecular Biology

D-Index
144
Citations
69124
World Ranking
107
National Ranking
70

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2014 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
  • 2013 - Nobel Prize for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells
  • 2013 - Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom
  • 2010 - E.B. Wilson Medal, American Society for Cell Biology
  • 2002 - Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, Columbia University
  • 2002 - Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, Lasker Foundation
  • 2000 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1996 - Canada Gairdner International Award
  • 1992 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1982 - Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Overview

Randy Schekman is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. The primary field of study is Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a focus on Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Cancer Research, Neurology, and Physiology as subfields.

Research topics frequently addressed in their work include:

  • Extracellular vesicles in disease
  • MicroRNA in disease regulation
  • RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
  • Cellular transport and secretion
  • RNA Research and Splicing
  • CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • RNA regulation and disease

Some of the recent papers authored or co-authored by Schekman are:

  • Low-bias ncRNA libraries using ordered two-template relay: Serial template jumping by a modified retroelement reverse transcriptase, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • A CLN6-CLN8 complex recruits lysosomal enzymes at the ER for Golgi transfer, 2020, Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • Annexin A6 mediates calcium-dependent exosome secretion during plasma membrane repair, 2023, eLife
  • Unconventional secretion of α-synuclein mediated by palmitoylated DNAJC5 oligomers, 2023, eLife
  • Two RNA-binding proteins mediate the sorting of miR223 from mitochondria into exosomes, 2023, eLife

Frequent co-authors in Schekman's research include:

  • Justin Krish Williams
  • Jordan Matthew Ngo
  • Shenjie Wu
  • Lucas Ferguson
  • Morayma M. Temoche-Diaz

Notable publication venues where Schekman's work appears regularly include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • eLife
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • The Journal of Cell Biology

In addition to numerous journal articles, Schekman has contributed to book publications, including a volume published by World Scientific titled Shaw Lectures in Life Science and Medicine (2004-2018) in 2023.

Awards and honors conferred upon Schekman span several decades and various prestigious institutions. These include the Nobel Prize in 2013 for discoveries related to the machinery regulating vesicle traffic, which is a major transport system in cells. Other awards include the Member of the National Academy of Medicine (2014), Fellow of the Royal Society, UK (2013), E.B. Wilson Medal from the American Society for Cell Biology (2010), Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (2002), Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University (2002), Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2000), Canada Gairdner International Award (1996), Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1992), and Fellowship of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1982).

Best Publications

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Kotb Abdelmohsen;Akihisa Abe;Joynal Abedin

  • Identification of 23 complementation groups required for post-translational events in the yeast secretory pathway

    Peter Novick;Charles Field;Randy Schekman

  • COPII: a membrane coat formed by Sec proteins that drive vesicle budding from the endoplasmic reticulum.

    Charles Barlowe;Lelio Orci;Tom Yeung;Midori Hosobuchi

  • A subfamily of stress proteins facilitates translocation of secretory and mitochondrial precursor polypeptides

    Raymond J. Deshaies;Bruce D. Koch;Margaret Werner-Washburne;Elizabeth A. Craig

  • Coat Proteins and Vesicle Budding

    Randy Schekman;Lelio Orci

  • Bi-directional protein transport between the ER and Golgi.

    Marcus C.S. Lee;Elizabeth A. Miller;Jonathan Goldberg;Lelio Orci

  • Distinct sets of SEC genes govern transport vesicle formation and fusion early in the secretory pathway

    Chris A. Kaiser;Randy Schekman

  • Order of events in the yeast secretory pathway

    Peter Novick;Susan Ferro;Randy Schekman

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Kotb Abdelmohsen;Akihisa Abe;Joynal Abedin

  • Early stages in the yeast secretory pathway are required for transport of carboxypeptidase Y to the vacuole

    Tom Stevens;Brent Esmon;Randy Schekman

  • COPII-Coated Vesicle Formation Reconstituted with Purified Coat Proteins and Chemically Defined Liposomes

    Ken Matsuoka;Lelio Orci;Mylène Amherdt;Sebastian Y Bednarek

  • Secretion and cell-surface growth are blocked in a temperature-sensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Peter Novick;Randy Schekman

  • VESICLE-MEDIATED PROTEIN SORTING

    Nancy K. Pryer;Linda J. Wuestehube;Randy Schekman

  • SEC12 encodes a guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor essential for transport vesicle budding from the ER

    Charles Barlowe;Randy Schekman

  • Multiple cargo binding sites on the COPII subunit Sec24p ensure capture of diverse membrane proteins into transport vesicles.

    Elizabeth A Miller;Traude Helene Beilharz;Per N Malkus;Marcus Cs Lee

  • Protein Translocation Across Biological Membranes

    William Wickner;Randy Schekman

  • Sec61p mediates export of a misfolded secretory protein from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol for degradation

    Marinus Pilon;Randy Schekman;Karin Römisch

  • Sar1p N-terminal helix initiates membrane curvature and completes the fission of a COPII vesicle.

    Marcus C.S. Lee;Lelio Orci;Susan Hamamoto;Eugene Futai

  • Y-box protein 1 is required to sort microRNAs into exosomes in cells and in a cell-free reaction.

    Matthew J Shurtleff;Morayma M Temoche-Diaz;Kate V Karfilis;Sayaka Ri

  • Membrane fusion and the cell cycle: Cdc48p participates in the fusion of ER membranes

    Martin Latterich;Kai Uwe Fröhlich;Randy Schekman

Frequent Co-Authors

Lelio Orci
Lelio Orci University of Geneva
Arthur Kornberg
Arthur Kornberg Stanford University
Peter Novick
Peter Novick University of California, San Diego
Raymond J. Deshaies
Raymond J. Deshaies California Institute of Technology
Mariella Ravazzola
Mariella Ravazzola University of Geneva
Detlef Weigel
Detlef Weigel Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
Fiona M. Watt
Fiona M. Watt King's College London
James E. Rothman
James E. Rothman Yale University
Anne Spang
Anne Spang University of Basel
Ken Matsuoka
Ken Matsuoka Kyushu University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring a degree in Molecular Biology can open doors to several related online programs and career paths. Many students seek flexibility and accessibility, making online degrees an appealing option. For those with a military background or who value support for veterans, veteran friendly online colleges offer specialized resources and tailored learning environments for service members and their families.

If you are interested in applying biological insights to the social sciences or healthcare, consider degrees that intersect with these fields. Options such as online msw programs allow graduates to pursue impactful roles in social work and human services. Additionally, programs like the master psychologie à distance enable those intrigued by human behavior and mental health to advance their expertise without relocating.

For those drawn toward counseling, the fastest online counseling degree programs offer accelerated routes to rewarding clinical careers. By exploring these related online study options, Molecular Biology students can diversify their skills, enhance employability, and find the path that best fits their academic goals and personal circumstances.

Best Scientists Citing Randy Schekman

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles