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Molecular Biology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Molecular Biology

D-Index
134
Citations
72829
World Ranking
156
National Ranking
100

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
  • 2002 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2001 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences

Overview

Ronald D. Vale is affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco in the United States. The primary focus of their research lies within the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with significant contributions in its subfields, including Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, and Physiology.

The scientist's work engages several main topics, notably:

  • Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
  • Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
  • Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
  • Erythrocyte Function and Pathophysiology
  • Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications
  • Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • CAR-T cell therapy research

Recent publications showcase a range of research interests and collaborations. Some of the notable papers include:

  • "Tuning the Antigen Density Requirement for CAR T-cell Activity," published in 2020 in Cancer Discovery
  • "CD47 Ligation Repositions the Inhibitory Receptor SIRPA to Suppress Integrin Activation and Phagocytosis," 2020, Immunity
  • "High-content imaging-based pooled CRISPR screens in mammalian cells," 2020, The Journal of Cell Biology
  • "DNA origami patterning of synthetic T cell receptors reveals spatial control of the sensitivity and kinetics of signal activation," 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "Rewired signaling network in T cells expressing the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)," 2020, The EMBO Journal

Frequent coauthors in their work include:

  • Nico Stuurman
  • Nan Zhang
  • Stefan Niekamp
  • Rui Dong
  • Meghan A. Morrissey

The scientist's research has appeared repeatedly in several publication venues. The most frequent of these include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Immunity
  • Biophysical Journal

They have been recognized by notable scientific societies, being elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002, and as a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2001.

Best Publications

  • The Molecular Motor Toolbox for Intracellular Transport

    Ronald D Vale

  • Identification of a novel force-generating protein, kinesin, involved in microtubule-based motility

    Ronald D. Vale;Ronald D. Vale;Ronald D. Vale;Thomas S. Reese;Michael P. Sheetz;Michael P. Sheetz

  • The Way Things Move: Looking Under the Hood of Molecular Motor Proteins

    Ronald D. Vale;Ronald A. Milligan

  • Advanced methods of microscope control using μManager software.

    Arthur D Edelstein;Mark A Tsuchida;Nenad Amodaj;Henry Pinkard

  • Computer control of microscopes using µManager.

    Arthur Edelstein;Nenad Amodaj;Karl Hoover;Ron Vale;Ron Vale

  • T cell costimulatory receptor CD28 is a primary target for PD-1-mediated inhibition.

    Enfu Hui;Jeanne Cheung;Jing Zhu;Xiaolei Su

  • A Protein-Tagging System for Signal Amplification in Gene Expression and Fluorescence Imaging

    Marvin E. Tanenbaum;Luke A. Gilbert;Lei S. Qi;Jonathan S. Weissman

  • Circularization of mRNA by Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors

    Sandra E. Wells;Paul E. Hillner;Ronald D. Vale;Alan B. Sachs

  • Phase separation of signaling molecules promotes T cell receptor signal transduction

    Xiaolei Su;Xiaolei Su;Jonathon A. Ditlev;Jonathon A. Ditlev;Enfu Hui;Enfu Hui;Wenmin Xing;Wenmin Xing

  • Kinesin Walks Hand-Over-Hand

    Ahmet Yildiz;Michio Tomishige;Ronald D. Vale;Paul R. Selvin

  • Movement of microtubules by single kinesin molecules

    J. Howard;A. J. Hudspeth;R. D. Vale

  • Single-molecule microscopy reveals plasma membrane microdomains created by protein-protein networks that exclude or trap signaling molecules in T cells.

    Adam D. Douglass;Ronald D. Vale

  • A structural change in the kinesin motor protein that drives motility

    Sarah Rice;Abel W. Lin;Daniel Safer;Cynthia L. Hart

  • Direct observation of single kinesin molecules moving along microtubules

    Ronald D. Vale;Takashi Funatsu;Daniel W. Pierce;Laura Romberg

  • A standardized kinesin nomenclature.

    Carolyn J. Lawrence;R. Kelly Dawe;Karen R. Christie;Don W. Cleveland

  • Crystal structure of the kinesin motor domain reveals a structural similarity to myosin.

    F.J Kull;E.P Sablin;R Lau;R.J Fletterick

  • Regulators of the cytoplasmic dynein motor.

    Julia R. Kardon;Ronald D. Vale

  • Functional genomic screen reveals genes involved in lipid-droplet formation and utilization

    Yi Guo;Tobias C. Walther;Meghana Rao;Nico Stuurman

  • RNA phase transitions in repeat expansion disorders

    Ankur Jain;Ronald D. Vale;Ronald D. Vale

  • AAA proteins. Lords of the ring.

    Ronald D. Vale

Frequent Co-Authors

Nico Stuurman
Nico Stuurman University of California, San Francisco
Gohta Goshima
Gohta Goshima Nagoya University
Robert J. Fletterick
Robert J. Fletterick University of California, San Francisco
Satyajit Mayor
Satyajit Mayor National Centre for Biological Sciences
Michael K. Rosen
Michael K. Rosen The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Michael P. Sheetz
Michael P. Sheetz The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
James A. Spudich
James A. Spudich Stanford University
Roger Cooke
Roger Cooke University of California, San Francisco
Eric M. Shooter
Eric M. Shooter Stanford University

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