Is an unquenchable joy in science the secret to longevity? As a graduate student, Evelyn Witkin jumped up and down with excitement when she found out that bacteria have genes. She went on to spend over half a century studying bacterial genetics, and this month, she turned 100!

Evelyn Witkin

Pursuing the Mysteries of DNA Damage

Renowned geneticist Evelyn Witkin discusses how enthusiasm, luck, and a little defiance helped shape her career.

Evelyn Witkin

The SOS Response in Bacteria

Evelyn Witkin provides a historical perspective on the discovery that cells have a mechanism to repair DNA damage, the SOS response.

Witkin, Evelyn

Evelyn Witkin, a Life in Science

View an interview with Evelyn Witkin. Read a New York Times piece that highlights her career in science.

Evelyn Witkin

Acceptance Remarks, 2015 Lasker Awards Ceremony

How John Tyndall’s “pictorial power” influenced Witkin’s scientific style.