Dr. Boone received his Ph.D. in molecular biology in 1989 from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He then did postdoctoral research in yeast genetics at the Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, in Eugene and, in 1993, founded his own research lab at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada. In 1999, he received the Ontario Government’s Premier's Research Excellence Award. He is also a recipient of the William E. Rawls Award for Research Excellence of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the 2003 Merck Frosst Award of the Canadian Society of Biochemistry, and the 2006 Ira Herskowitz award at the Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Meeting. He is currently professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Toronto's Banting and Best Department of Medical Research. This is Dr. Boone's second HHMI International Research Scholar award.

Charles Boone is mapping yeast genetic networks on a large scale to assign gene function. In particular, he is identifying genes responsible for causing vegetative, yeast-like fungi to grow in a filamentous form, which can augment the fungus's virulence. A detailed understanding of the genes that control these processes will provide new insights into fungal pathogenicity and should identify targets for the development of novel antifungal drugs. Dr. Boone plans to disseminate his findings to the research community through an open database.