2026 Thomas A. Kunkel: Molecular Biology Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Molecular Biology	142	110	96	72	63	451	86385

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2024 - Research.com Genetics and Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
2014 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Overview

Thomas A. Kunkel is affiliated with the National Institutes of Health in the United States. Their research primarily spans the field of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology with a significant focus on Molecular Biology, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Cancer Research, Genetics, and Plant Science.

The scientist's work covers a range of topics including DNA Repair Mechanisms, Genetic factors in colorectal cancer, CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics, Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics, RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, and DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry.

Recent notable publications authored or co-authored by Thomas A. Kunkel include:

"Ultrasensitive deletion detection links mitochondrial DNA replication, disease, and aging," 2020, published in Genome Biology
"DNA Polymerase and Mismatch Repair Exert Distinct Microsatellite Instability Signatures in Normal and Malignant Human Cells," 2020, published in Cancer Discovery
"High-fidelity DNA ligation enforces accurate Okazaki fragment maturation during DNA replication," 2021, published in Nature Communications
"Stepwise requirements for polymerases δ and θ in theta-mediated end joining," 2023, published in Nature
"How asymmetric DNA replication achieves symmetrical fidelity," 2021, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

Frequent co-authors of Thomas A. Kunkel include:

Scott A. Lujan
Lars C. Pedersen
Adam Burkholder
Dale A. Ramsden
Katarzyna Bębenek

The scientist frequently publishes in venues such as:

UNC Libraries
Nucleic Acids Research
Nature Communications
DNA Repair
Genome Biology

Thomas A. Kunkel was recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2014.

Best Publications

Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection.

Thomas A. Kunkel

13846
Citations
Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection

Thomas A. Kunkel;John D. Roberts;Richard A. Zakour

6917
Citations
Incidence and functional consequences of hMLH1 promoter hypermethylation in colorectal carcinoma

James G. Herman;Asad Umar;Kornelia Polyak;Jeremy R. Graff

2387
Citations
DNA mismatch repair

Thomas A. Kunkel;Dorothy A. Erie

1948
Citations
The accuracy of reverse transcriptase from HIV-1.

John D. Roberts;Katarzyna Bebenek;Thomas A. Kunkel

1437
Citations
DNA replication fidelity.

Thomas A. Kunkel;Katarzyna Bebenek

1419
Citations
Fidelity of DNA synthesis by the Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase.

Kenneth R. Tindall;Thomas A. Kunkel

1170
Citations
The Y-Family of DNA Polymerases

Haruo Ohmori;Errol C. Friedberg;Robert P.P. Fuchs;Myron F. Goodman

1045
Citations
Efficient site-directed mutagenesis using uracil-containing DNA

Thomas A. Kunkel;Katarzyna Bebenek;John McClary

962
Citations
Requirement for PCNA in DNA mismatch repair at a step preceding DNA resynthesis

Asad Umar;Andrew B Buermeyer;Jeffrey A Simon;David C Thomas

738
Citations
Human Chromosome 3 Corrects Mismatch Repair Deficiency and Microsatellite Instability and Reduces N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine Tolerance in Colon Tumor Cells with Homozygous hMLH1 Mutation

M. Koi;Asad Umar;D. P. Chauhan;S. P. Cherian

729
Citations
Meiotic Pachytene Arrest in MLH1-Deficient Mice

Winfried Edelmann;Paula E Cohen;Michael Kane;Kirkland Lau

724
Citations
DNA Replication Fidelity

Thomas A. Kunkel

715
Citations
DNA polymerase fidelity and the polymerase chain reaction.

Kristin A. Eckert;Thomas A. Kunkel

710
Citations
The fidelity of DNA synthesis by eukaryotic replicative and translesion synthesis polymerases.

Scott D McCulloch;Thomas A Kunkel

691
Citations
Fidelity of DNA Synthesis

Lawrence A. Loeb;Thomas A. Kunkel

690
Citations
A sensitive genetic assay for the detection of cytosine deamination: determination of rate constants and the activation energy.

Lisa A. Frederico;Thomas A. Kunkel;Barbara Ramsay Shaw

664
Citations
Yeast DNA polymerase ε participates in leading-strand DNA replication

Zachary F. Pursell;Isabelle Isoz;Else-Britt Lundström;Erik Johansson

648
Citations
Biochemical Basis of DNA Replication Fidelity

Myron F. Goodman;Steven Creighton;Linda B. Bloom;John Petruska

640
Citations
Cadmium is a mutagen that acts by inhibiting mismatch repair

Yong Hwan Jin;Alan B Clark;Robbert J C Slebos;Hanan Al-Refai

564
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Katarzyna Bebenek National Institutes of Health

Lawrence A. Loeb University of Washington

Lars C. Pedersen National Institutes of Health

Youri I. Pavlov University of Nebraska Medical Center

Peter M. J. Burgers Washington University in St. Louis

Samuel H. Wilson National Institutes of Health

William A. Beard National Institutes of Health

Dmitry A. Gordenin National Institutes of Health

Erik Johansson Umeå University

Igor B. Rogozin National Institutes of Health

External Links

Personal website of Thomas A. Kunkel

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