Joe DeRisi

Joseph “Joe” DeRisi employs an interdisciplinary approach to his work, combining genomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry and bioengineering to study parasitic and viral infectious diseases in a wide range of organisms. DeRisi was one of the early pioneers of DNA microarray technology and whole-genome expression profiling, and is nationally recognized for his efforts to make this technology accessible and freely available. Today he uses this approach to study the activity of the full range of malaria genes and has generated provocative insights into many emerging viral diseases. In 2004, he was chosen for a MacArthur Fellowship. In addition to being a Searle Scholar and a Packard Fellow, DeRisi has received the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment, and was named an Eli Lilly and Company Research Award Laureate. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015 and to the National Academy of Sciences in 2016. He received a B.A. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Stanford University.