Leland H. Hartwell

Lore & Background

Leland H. Hartwell is an American biologist who shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for identifying the protein molecules that govern cell division. Working with baker’s yeast, he discovered the cell division cycle (CDC) genes, which regulate the progression of the cell cycle. His research introduced the concept of checkpoints—control mechanisms that delay cell division when damage occurs—and highlighted the CDC28 gene, which controls the start of the cycle’s G1 phase. Hartwell earned his bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of Technology and his PhD in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He taught at the University of California, Irvine, before moving to the University of Washington in 1968, where his key experiments from 1970 to 1971 identified the CDC genes. He later joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, serving as its president and director from 1997 until his retirement in 2010. Hartwell has received numerous honors, including the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, and the Washington State Medal of Merit. After retiring, he became the Virginia G. Piper Chair of Personalized Medicine at Arizona State University and co-director of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Sustainable Health. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Canary Foundation, which focuses on early cancer detection.

Reader's Guide

Leland H. Hartwell’s research centered on the baker’s yeast *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*, where he isolated temperature-sensitive mutants to study basic biological processes such as DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. This work led to his discovery of the cell division cycle (CDC) genes, which regulate the progression of cell division. The most notable of these, CDC28, encodes a yeast Cdk kinase that controls the start of the cycle and the transition through the G1 phase. Hartwell also introduced the concept of cell cycle “checkpoints,” which are mechanisms that delay cell division when cellular damage or errors occur, ensuring genomic integrity. His findings established a fundamental framework for understanding how cells duplicate, and mutations in these CDC genes are implicated in certain cancers. This work directly relates to the field of cell biology and oncology, as it provided the molecular basis for cell cycle control and checkpoints, which are critical for maintaining normal growth and preventing tumor formation. His discoveries, shared with Paul Nurse and Tim Hunt, were recognized with the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Beyond his laboratory research, Hartwell served as president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center from 1997 until 2010, and later joined Arizona State University as the Virginia G. Piper Chair of Personalized Medicine and co-director of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Sustainable Health. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Canary Foundation, a nonprofit focused on early cancer detection technologies.

Did You Know?

• Leland H. Hartwell shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries regarding the mechanisms that control cell division.
• Hartwell retired as president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2010.
• After retiring from the center, Hartwell left to join Arizona State University.
• The center has employed three Nobel laureates: Linda B. Buck, Leland H. Hartwell, and E. Donnall Thomas.

Nobel Recognition for Cell Division Research

Leland H. Hartwell stands as one of the most distinguished scientists associated with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, an honor that recognized his groundbreaking discoveries concerning the mechanisms that govern cell division. This achievement placed him among the select group of researchers whose work has shaped the fundamental understanding of how living cells replicate and grow. At the time of his recognition, Hartwell was employed at the center, which had been operating in the Pacific Northwest since 1975. His work on cell division control mechanisms represented a significant contribution to the basic research mission the center had pursued since receiving its NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center status in 1976. The Nobel Prize cemented his legacy as a scientist whose discoveries touched the very foundations of cellular biology, a field intimately connected to the broader understanding and treatment of cancer.

Serving as the Center's Third President

Hartwell's connection to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center extended well beyond his laboratory research. He served as the institution's third President, a leadership role that placed him at the helm of one of the nation's premier cancer research institutes. His tenure as president spanned a period during which the center continued to grow and evolve, having been established in 1975 and designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the NCI in 1976. His leadership came after the center had navigated significant challenges, including the 2001 Seattle Times investigation into research ethics and the subsequent adoption of new conflict-of-interest rules. Hartwell retired from his presidential role in 2010, at which point Lawrence Corey was appointed as the fourth President to continue guiding the institute. The succession of leadership at the center reflected its ongoing commitment to both research excellence and institutional stewardship over its decades of operation in Seattle.

One of Three Nobel Laureates at the Center

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle has been home to an extraordinary concentration of scientific talent, and Leland H. Hartwell was one of three individuals employed there who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His 2001 award for work on cell division mechanisms joined the honors of Linda B. Buck, who in 2004 was recognized for her elucidation of the olfactory system, and E. Donnall Thomas, who received the prize in 1990 for his pioneering contributions to bone-marrow transplantation. Thomas held a particularly close connection to the institution, having been its co-founder. The fact that three Nobel laureates were associated with a single cancer research center in the Pacific Northwest underscored the depth of scientific achievement the institute had cultivated since its origins in 1975. Hartwell's presence among this distinguished trio reflected the center's role as a magnet for researchers working at the frontiers of biomedical science.

A New Chapter at Arizona State University

Following his retirement from leading the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in 2010, Leland H. Hartwell embarked on a new professional chapter by joining Arizona State University. His departure in 2010 was followed by the appointment of Lawrence Corey as the center's fourth President, signaling a transition in leadership at the institution. This transition came at a time when the center was continuing to expand its operations and influence, eventually merging with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in 2022 to form the unified Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.