A trailblazer in genetic research
Described as a “role model of one who has achieved success without either aggression or self-promotion” and “who brings to every interaction kindness, selflessness, consideration and empathy,” Dr. Worton stands out as both a scholar and a gentleman. Through a novel and ground breaking approach at a time when disease-gene discovery was in its infancy, Dr. Worton and his team identified the dystrophin gene which is mutated in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This was the first gene to be identified by “positional cloning” without prior knowledge of the altered protein and provided proof-of-principle for the human genome project.