2010 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research open for nomination

Dec 18 2009

The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research has opened the 2010 call for nominations. The $100,000 Award recognizes individuals whose efforts have made significant transformational contributions towards the improvement of human health. Nomination forms are available at pauljanssenaward.com and will be accepted until February 15, 2010.

The Award winner is chosen by an independent selection committee of the world's top scientists, which features three new members this year: Robert Langer, Sc.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, past Award winner Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, and Huda Zoghbi, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine.

Established by Johnson & Johnson in 2004, the Award is named for Dr. Paul Janssen, the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V. Known by colleagues throughout the scientific community as "Dr. Paul," Janssen was one of the most productive scientists of the 20th century. He was responsible for breakthroughs in several fields of disease, including pain management, psychiatry, infectious disease and gastroenterology, and has more than 100 patents to his name.

"We're proud to recognize and celebrate those outstanding scientists who are making significant contributions to scientific research and the development of critical new medicines, and who exemplify Dr. Paul's passion for medical innovation," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., who worked with Janssen while at Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V. and is now global head, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson.

In September of this year, the 2009 Award was presented to Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., director, Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, for his pioneering work in applying molecular biology and molecular cloning to the discovery of protein therapeutics for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including diabetes and cancer. In 2008, the Award was presented to Professor Marc Feldmann, FMedSci, FAA, FRS, and Emeritus Professor Sir Ravinder Maini, FRCP, FMedSci, FRS, of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London, for their role in the discovery of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as an effective therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions. In 2006, the Award was presented to Craig Mello, Ph.D., of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Mello later went on to win the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine in conjunction with Andrew Z. Fire of Stanford University for their role in the discovery of RNA interference.

"Scientists make a significant and lasting contribution to the advancement of health and wellbeing across the globe," said Harlan Weisman, M.D., chief science and technology officer, Medical Devices & Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson. "In acknowledging and rewarding those contributions, The Dr. Paul Janssen Award honors Dr. Paul's legacy as a physician-scientist who helped stamp out diseases in emerging and developed nations, including infectious and digestive diseases, mental illness and many others."

"As in past years, we are looking forward to receiving high quality nominations from scientists in academic and industrial research around the world -- including in the field of biomedical engineering -- and to selecting a 2010 Dr. Paul Janssen Award winner who has made significant contributions to understanding human health through his or her dedication to the advancement of science and medicine," said Solomon Snyder, M.D., distinguished service professor of neuroscience, pharmacology and psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Snyder chairs the Dr. Paul Janssen Award 2010 Selection Committee, which also includes:

• Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle; member, National Academy of Sciences; member, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
• Jean-Marie Lehn, Ph.D., professor, College de France; winner, 1987 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
• Robert Langer, Sc.D., David H. Koch Institute Professor of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; member, Institute of Medicine; member, National Academy of Engineering; member, National Academy of Sciences
• Craig Mello, Ph.D., professor, Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School and investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; winner, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine; winner, 2006 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
• Sir Richard Sykes, Ph.D., chair, National Health Service, London; former rector Imperial College London; former chief executive officer, GlaxoWellcome; fellow of the Royal Society; honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
• Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., director of the Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany; winner, 2009 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
• Huda Zoghbi, M.D., professor, Pediatrics, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics Departments, Baylor College of Medicine; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute

The winner of the 2010 Dr. Paul Janssen Award will be announced in the summer of 2010.