James Edwin Darnell Jr. (born September 9, 1930, Columbus, Mississippi)[5] is an American biologist who made significant contributions to RNA processing and cytokine signaling and is author of the cell biology textbook Molecular Cell Biology.

In 2004, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

He became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 2013.

[6] Since 2013, Darnell has been listed on the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education.

[7] He is married to Norwegian former model and dress shop owner Kristin Holby, known as "Clotilde", whose daughter Phoebe, a financial analyst, is married to businessman Divya Narendra.