David Deamer and David Haussler Elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
The Santa Cruz innovation ecosystem is celebrating a major achievement as two distinguished faculty members from the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) Baskin School of Engineering, David Deamer and David Haussler, have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). This prestigious distinction is the highest professional honor accorded solely to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
Both professors' election underscores the world-class research and innovative culture thriving in the Santa Cruz area, particularly within the fields of genomics and biotechnology.
Pioneering Nanopore Sequencing and Genomics
David Deamer, Professor Emeritus of Biomolecular Engineering, is a pioneer in the field of nanopore sequencing. His foundational research, developed with collaborators, led to the revolutionary concept of reading DNA and RNA by passing a single strand through a nanometer-sized pore. This invention was licensed to Oxford Nanopore Technologies and directly resulted in the creation of the MinION—the only handheld device for genetic sequencing, making powerful genomic analysis portable and accessible globally.
This latest achievement follows Deamer's history of being recognized as a driving force in local innovation, including his recent nomination as a Santa Cruz Works Titan, an honor celebrating the region's top leaders and entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on the local tech and business community.
David Haussler, a Titan Award recipient in 2020 and Distinguished Professor of Biomolecular Engineering and Scientific Director of the UCSC Genomics Institute, is renowned for his work at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, and molecular biology. He is widely credited with early, extensive contributions to machine learning and genomics. Haussler and his team made history by producing and publicly releasing the first working draft of the human genetic code on the internet during the international Human Genome Project. His team subsequently developed and published the UCSC Genome Browser, a public, web-based tool that remains essential for hundreds of thousands of researchers worldwide in visualizing and analyzing genomic data.
The NAI Fellows are nominated by their peers for their outstanding contributions and must be a named inventor on patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This recognition places Deamer and Haussler among the most elite innovators in the academic world.
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