Aharon Razin

Aharon Razin was born in Tel Aviv in 1935.[5] He studied physics and mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before earning a master's degree in biochemistry and a doctorate from the same institution.[5]

Razin had been associated with the Hebrew University since 1962 and received his Ph.D. there in 1967.[1] In 1969, he went to the California Institute of Technology as a research fellow before continuing his work at the Hebrew University.[1][5]

He later served for approximately two decades as the Jacob Grunbaum Professor of Medical Sciences at the Hebrew University.[1]

Razin's principal scientific partnership was with Howard Cedar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Their research focused on DNA methylation, chemical changes in DNA that regulate gene activity without changing the genetic code itself.[1][4] This work contributed to epigenetics, the study of changes associated with the regulation of gene expression rather than alterations to the underlying genetic code.[4]

Razin and Cedar showed how DNA molecules can be manipulated to activate or deactivate genes.[2] They linked DNA methylation to the control of gene expression in higher organisms and helped establish it as a basic aspect of animal-cell biology involved in physiological, developmental, and pathological processes.[1]

Their work was described as having laid, almost exclusively, the foundations of the field of DNA methylation.[1] Razin and Cedar were also members of the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Human Genome Organization, placing them within major international scientific organizations devoted to molecular biology and genetics.[1]

Razin and Cedar's research had implications beyond the basic study of gene regulation. Their findings connected DNA methylation with physiological, developmental, and pathological processes and contributed to research on development, gene-expression control, and cancer.[1]

Age-related corruption of genetic information in cells can contribute to disease, and understanding how genes are regulated could potentially help researchers address cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.[2] These possible applications reflected the broader medical importance of understanding when genes are activated or deactivated.

The citation for the 2011 Canada Gairdner International Award recognized Razin and Cedar's "pioneering discoveries on DNA methylation and its role in gene expression."[2]

Razin received the Israel Prize in Biochemistry in 2004. He and Howard Cedar subsequently received the Wolf Prize in Medicine in 2008 and the Canada Gairdner International Award in 2011.[3][2]

The Wolf Prize citation honored Razin and Cedar "for their fundamental contributions to our understanding of the role of DNA methylation in the control of gene expression."[3] The Wolf Prize recognizes achievement in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples. Its annual prizes of $100,000 are given in four of five scientific fields in rotation: agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, and physics.[6]

In 2016, Razin, Cedar, and Gary Felsenfeld received Columbia University's Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for their influence on epigenetics.[4] The report announcing the award noted that 43 previous Horwitz Prize recipients had subsequently won a Nobel Prize.[4]

In 2013, Thomson Reuters identified Razin and Cedar as possible Nobel Prize candidates for their DNA-methylation research.[5] The Jerusalem Post reported Cedar's response: "Just a prediction is a compliment."[5]

Aharon Razin's scientific legacy rests on his foundational role in the study of DNA methylation and gene expression. His work with Howard Cedar helped establish DNA methylation as a basic feature of animal-cell biology and connected it to numerous physiological, developmental, and pathological processes.[1]

Their research provided methods and concepts for examining how genes can be activated or deactivated without altering the genetic code.[2][4] Its reported implications extended to development, cancer, age-related changes in cells, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, illustrating the relationship between their basic research and later medical questions.[1][2]

Razin's career also represents a significant Israeli scientific achievement rooted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His long association with the university, his service as the Jacob Grunbaum Professor of Medical Sciences, and his participation in international molecular-biology organizations accompanied recognition through the Israel, Wolf, Gairdner, and Horwitz prizes.[1][2] Those honors document the international recognition accorded to his contributions to DNA-methylation research.