2026 O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences: Yunsun Nam, Ph.D.
Renowned molecular biologist Yunsun Nam, Ph.D., Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is the recipient of the 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from TAMEST. She was chosen for her groundbreaking research into how RNAs and proteins interact at the molecular level – providing key insights for gene regulation, cancer biology and RNA-based therapeutics.
Crucial cellular events rely on precise communication between proteins and RNAs. Dr. Nam’s lab is uncovering the molecular rules that govern this specificity. Her group elucidated how tiny regulatory molecules called microRNAs are selected and processed in cells, a step critical for switching specific genes “on” or “off.” Her discoveries further revealed that a molecule called heme – more commonly known for carrying oxygen in red blood cells – fine-tunes the fidelity of the Microprocessor complex, a protein machine central to microRNA biogenesis.
The Nam lab also investigates how chemical modifications such as RNA methylation can alter an RNA’s fate and reshape cellular programming. They showed how each of several RNA modification enzymes uses a distinct strategy to recognize its target. Deciphering these rules led Dr. Nam’s group to uncover a novel mechanism linking dysregulated RNA methylation to cancer.
Her innovative approach uses cutting-edge biochemistry and structural biology methods, including cryo-electron microscopy, to visualize molecular interactions. Her ability to combine the chemical findings with cellular studies and machine learning enables the group to uncover how each RNA-protein event is interpreted as a signal inside cells. This work not only deepens fundamental understanding of RNA biology but also creates new opportunities for diagnosing and treating disease, especially cancers driven by misregulated RNA pathways.
“Dr. Nam is a brilliant scientist whose discoveries have transformed how scientists think about gene regulation and opened entirely new avenues in RNA biology and cancer research,” said nominator Yuh Min Chook, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Biophysics at UT Southwestern and recipient of the 2015 O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences. “Her structural, biochemical and genetic insights have already reshaped the field and will continue to fuel transformative advances in molecular biology. She is truly helping turn basic science into medical breakthroughs.”
Dr. Nam is one of five Texas-based researchers receiving the TAMEST 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards. Recipients are chosen for their individual contributions addressing the essential role that science and technology play in society, and whose work meets the highest standards of exemplary professional performance, creativity and resourcefulness.
Dr. Nam will be recognized at the 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and will give a presentation on her research preceding the award ceremony at the TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference: Pioneering Climate Innovations in San Antonio, Texas, at the Kimpton Santo Hotel.
The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards annually recognize rising star Texas researchers who are addressing the essential role that science and technology play in society, and whose work meets the highest standards of exemplary professional performance, creativity and resourcefulness.
Nominations for the 2027 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards will open Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and close Monday, March 30, 2026, at 6 p.m. CT.
The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards are made possible by the O’Donnell Awards Endowment, established in 2005 through the generous support of several individuals and organizations. View a full list of supporters here.
TAMEST was co-founded in 2004 by the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison and Nobel Laureates Michael S. Brown, M.D., and Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D. With more than 355 members, eight Nobel Laureates and 23 member institutions, TAMEST is composed of the Texas-based members of the three National Academies (National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences) and other honorific organizations. We bring together the state’s brightest minds in medicine, engineering, science and technology to foster collaboration, and to advance research, innovation and business in Texas.
TAMEST’s unique interdisciplinary model has become an effective recruitment tool for top research and development centers across Texas. Since our founding, more than 325 TAMEST members have been inducted into the National Academies or relocated to Texas.