Maynard V. Olson

Maynard V. Olson is professor of genome sciences and medicine at the University of Washington, and is one of the founders and leaders of the Human Genome Project. He is well known for assembling the physical map of the yeast genome. He began his scientific career as a chemist, working in inorganic chemistry, and later became a molecular biologist.

A specialist in the genetics of cystic fibrosis, he and his colleagues have discovered patterns in the development of the bacteria that causes the disease which may lead to new ways of combating it. He is the recipient of the 2007 Gruber Genetics Prize as well as several other awards.