Donnelly Centre faculty member Charles Boone inducted as member of the National Academy of Sciences

Charles Boone, professor of molecular genetics and Banting & Best Distinguished Scholar, has been recognized for his contributions to scientific research through his election to the National Academy of Sciences. Boone was one of 24 international members elected in 2024 and was inducted into the Academy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private non-profit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership and provides science policy advice to the federal government of the United States, as well as other organizations.

In addition to his membership with the Academy, Boone has also been recognized as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the inaugural Banting & Best Distinguished Scholar and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Research. Boone is also a Team Director of the Chemical Genomics Research Group at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan.

“On behalf of the Donnelly Centre community, I congratulate Charles Boone on this monumental achievement,” said Stéphane Angers, professor and director of the Donnelly Centre. “He has had a storied career at the University of Toronto, including serving as one of the founding faculty members and Interim Director of the Donnelly Centre. His work to understand genetic networks, in collaboration with fellow Donnelly Centre faculty member Brenda Andrews, was pivotal in establishing our reputation as a global leader in biomedical research.”

Boone developed an automated method for studying yeast genetics, called synthetic genetic array analysis. This method was used to test interactions among all 18 million pairs of yeast genes and map the global yeast genetic interaction network, which is now being used to interpret chemical-genetic profiles and determine the target pathways of bioactive compounds.

Boone’s most significant contribution to health and medicine is pioneering the field of systematic genetics. Together with Brenda Andrews, inaugural director of the Donnelly Centre, university professor of molecular genetics and Canada Research Chair in Systems Genetics & Cell Biology—as well as a fellow member of the National Academy of Sciences—Boone led the development of the first comprehensive map of genetic interactions within a cell. This map demonstrated how genes work together to maintain cellular function and how genetic networks influence trait inheritance, particularly the inheritance of disease risk.

Boone continues to work with Brenda Andrews, Chad Meyers, professor and Co-Director of Graduate Studies for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Minnesota, and Jason Moffat, professor of molecular genetics and Program Head of Genetics and Genome Biology at The Hospital for Sick Children, to apply large-scale methods of analysis to studying genetic networks in human cells.

Currently, Boone splits his time between studying both yeast and human cells as he shifts towards a new direction in his research. He aims to look more closely at the relationship between genotype and phenotype directly in humans, drilling down to the effects of genetic modifiers of disease genes within the human genome. The mapping of these genetic interactions through computational and statistical approaches from biobank data is being done in collaboration with Gary Bader, professor of molecular genetics at the Donnelly Centre.

 “We’re trying to understand the extent to which genetic interactions contribute to the genotype-phenotype relationship, and the health conditions people develop as a result,” said Boone. “The connection between genotype and phenotype is one of the major fundamental questions in genetics that has yet to be fully realized, and it is critical for precision medicine of individuals.”

Boone has been recognized with many awards for his work in systematic genetics. He notes, however, that his latest recognition by the National Academy of Sciences is unique in that his work is being celebrated by some of the most creative and accomplished researchers in the world.

“It’s an incredible honour to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, especially among the relatively few international members, because you are chosen by the most celebrated scientists in the U.S.,” said Boone. “The members who elected me to the genetics division include many of my heroes who have made fundamental contributions to our understanding of genetics.”