Harold Elliot Varmus (b. December 18, 1939) is an American Nobel prize winning scientist. He was a co-recipient (along with J. Michael Bishop) of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovery of the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes.
Varmus was born to Jewish parents of Eastern European descent in Freeport, New York . He is co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Public Library of Science, a not-for-profit open access publisher. He currently serves on the advisory boards of the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, an organization dedicated to opposing the religious right, and Scientists and Engineers for America, an organization focused on promoting sound science in American government.
He is also a recipient of 2001 National Medal of Science
Varmus, an avid bicyclist, runner, rower, and fisherman, has been married to Constance Casey since 1969 and has two sons, Jacob and Christopher.