Announcements: Kudos

SCHILLER AND TYCKO ELECTED TO NAS

John T. Schiller and Robert Tycko have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for 2020. The National Academies provide expert advice to the U.S. government on issues of science, health, and engineering and, today, comprise three private, nonprofit institutions: The NAS, National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The NAS is the oldest of these, established by the U.S. Congress in 1863. Membership to the Academies is considered one of the highest honors bestowed to a U.S. scientist. For a complete list of the NIHers who are members of NAS, visit https://irp.nih.gov/about-us/honors/the-national-academy-of-sciences.

John T. Schiller (National Cancer Institute): Schiller has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the development of the HPV vaccine. He applies his discoveries to the development of prevention and treatment strategies not just for HPV but also for other sexually transmitted infections, as well as chronic diseases like cancer.

Robert Tycko (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases): Tycko’s work aims to expand the capabilities of experimental techniques for investigating the structural properties of molecules important to human biology and disease, with a particular focus on solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). His experiments have provided new insights into the structures and physical behavior of proteins associated with Alzheimer disease, type 2 diabetes, and AIDS.

NIH DIRECTOR FRANCIS COLLINS WON 2020 TEMPLETON PRIZE

NIH Director Francis Collins was selected as the 2020 Templeton Prize Laureate. The Templeton Prize is one of the world’s largest annual individual awards, and honors individuals whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it. Collins joins a list of 50 Prize recipients including Mother Teresa (the inaugural award in 1973), the Dalai Lama (2012), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2013). Collins will formally receive the Templeton Prize in a virtual ceremony later this year