Lasker Award

Often called “America’s Nobels”, the Lasker Award recognizes the contributions of scientists, physicians, and public servants who have made major advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of human disease. Numerous Lasker Awards have been bestowed on Intramural Research Program (IRP) scientists, and the NIH Clinical Center as a whole was honored in 2011.

• Douglas R. Lowy and John T. Schiller (2017). Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, for their technological advances that enabled development of HPV vaccines for prevention of cervical cancer and other tumors caused by human papillomaviruses. View the press release and video.
• The NIH Clinical Center (2011). Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award, for its serving as a model institution that has transformed scientific advances into innovative therapies and provided high-quality care to patients.
• Anthony Fauci (2007). Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service, for his role as the principal architect of two major U.S. governmental programs, one aimed at AIDS and the other at biodefense.
• Harvey J. Alter (2000). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his ongoing studies to uncover the causes and reduce the risks of transfusion-associated hepatitis.
• Seymour Solomon Kety (1999). Albert Lasker Special Medical Research Achievement Award, for his research in neuroscience, especially for finding a way to measure cerebral blood flow that led to modern-day brain imaging techniques.
• Rachel Schneerson (1996). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for developing, with John Robbins, a polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type B.
• John B. Robbins (1996). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for developing, with Rachel Schneerson, a polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type B.
• National Institutes of Health (1987). Centennial Salute, for 100 years of leadership in biomedical research, establishing the pre-eminence of the United States in the fight against death, disease and disability.
• Philip Leder (1987). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his elegant genetic studies, particularly in carcinogenesis, and for developing transgenic laboratory animals for the study of cancer and other diseases.
• Robert C. Gallo (1986). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for determining that the retrovirus now known as HIV-1 is the cause of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
• Michael Potter (1984). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his fundamental research into the genetics of immunoglobulin molecules, paving the way for the development of hybridomas.
• Elizabeth F. Neufeld (1982). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for clarifying the molecular basis and diagnosis of certain hereditary lysosomal storage disorders that may cause growth abnormalities, mental retardation, blindness, deafness, and death.
• Robert C. Gallo (1982). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his pioneering studies that led to the discovery of the first human RNA tumor virus and its association with certain leukemias and lymphomas.
• Roscoe O. Brady (1982). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his pioneering contribution to the understanding of hereditary diseases, the development of effective genetic counseling procedures, and initiation of possible treatment by replacement of missing enzymes.
• Louis Sokoloff (1981). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for developing a pioneering method of mapping and measuring brain function, both as a whole and in localized areas—a monumental breakthrough in the understanding and diagnosis of brain diseases.
• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1980). Albert Lasker Special Public Health Award, for the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program, standing alone among clinical studies in its profound potential benefits to millions.
• C. Gordon Zubrod (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Special Award, for his leadership in expanding the frontiers of cancer chemotherapy.
• John L. Ziegler (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution in increasing the cure rate of Burkitt’s tumor by chemotherapy.
• Eugene J. Van Scott (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution to the concept of topical chemotherapy in the treatment of mycosis fungoides.
• Min Chiu Li (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution to the successful chemotherapeutic treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma.
• James Holland (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution to the concept and application of combination therapy in the treatment of acute leukemia in children.
• Roy Hertz (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution to the successful chemotherapeutic treatment of gestational choriocarinoma.
• Emil J. Freireich (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contributions in combination chemotherapy and in supportive care of patients receiving combination chemotherapy for acute leukemia.
• Emil Frei III (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution in application of the concept of combination chemotherapy for lymphoma and acute adult leukemia.
• Vincent T. DeVita (1972). Lasker Award in Clinical Research, for his outstanding contribution to the concept of combination therapy in the treatment of Hodgkin’s disease.
• Paul P. Carbone (1972). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contribution to the concept of combination therapy in the treatment of Hodgkin’s disease.
• William Windle (1968). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his basic discoveries in the field of developmental biology.
• Marshall Warren Nirenberg (1968). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his contribution toward deciphering the genetic code.
• Bernard Beryl Brodie (1967). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for his extraordinary contributions to biomedical pharmacology.
• Joseph E. Smadel (1962). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his outstanding contributions to the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of viral and rickettsial diseases, including the demonstration of the efficacy of chloramphenicol as a cure for rickettsial infections such as typhoid fever.
• Jules Freund (1959). Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, for new findings in the field of immunology and allergy which have strengthened immunization procedures against such diseases as tuberculosis, malaria, rabies and poliomyelitis.
• Cassius James Van Slyke (1957). Albert Lasker Public Service Award, for his unique contributions in laying the foundation for a national program on medical research and training.
• H. Trendly Dean (1952). Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, for his leadership in the development of community-wide fluoridation programs.
• R.E. Dyer (1948). Albert Lasker Public Service Award, for his scientific accomplishments in microbiological research and for his distinguished service as the National Institutes of Health Director during the war and postwar years.
• National Institutes of Health (1946). In recognition of its fundamental contributions to the prevention and control of disease.