The 1999 winners of the annual King Faisal International Prize (KFIP)
for Science (Chemistry) and Medicine (Allergic Diseases) have been
announced in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Professors Ryoji Noyori (Chemistry Department, Nagoya University,
Nagoya, Japan) and Dieter Seebach (Laboratory of Organic Chemistry,
Federal Polytechnic School ETH, Zurich, Switzerland) have been honored
for their outstanding work in developing new methods for the preparation
of organic chiral molecules and for the achievement of selective and
efficient chemical synthesis. Their contributions enable the manufacture
of new compounds with enormous benefits for mankind, ranging from
agriculture to medicine. Professor Noyori's work has numerous applications
ranging from the formation of many natural products, such as vitamins,
nucleic acids, prostaglandins, and alkaloids, to industrial processes.
Professor Seebach's work involves the development of new synthetic
methods and the use of a wide range of procedures to investigate new
organic compounds.
Professors Patrick G. Holt (Senior Principal Research Fellow, National
Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Perth, Australia)
and Stephen T. Holgate (Medical Research Council Clinical Professor
of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton, UK) have been honored
for their work on respiratory allergies. Professor Holt's pioneering
studies on the respiratory immune responses to inhaled allergens have
major implications on understanding asthma. His experimental and clinical
studies on atopic sensitization and immune modulation very early in
life have potential applications in the prevention of allergies in
infants. This experimental work could well pave the way for the development
of vaccines for the prevention of asthma. Professor Holgate's research
has focused on asthma as an inflammatory disease and demonstrated
the role of chemical signals from mast cells which play a key role
in allergies and the role of specific immune cells in prolonging the
inflammatory response. His research on asthma has also included the
role of viral infections, fibrosis, and genetic predisposition to
allergic diseases.
The KFIP Science and Medicine awards were introduced in 1982 and
1983, respectively, and three KFIP laureates have gone on to win Nobel
Prizes. Nominations for each KFIP are accepted from relevant institutions
and organizations from around the world, and independent experts examine
the work of nominated candidates during two elimination rounds. Finalists
are judged by autonomous specialist selection committees in Riyadh.
Each award includes a gold medal and a cash endowment of SR 750,000
(USD 200,000).
Nominations for the year 2000 KFIP in Science (Biology) and Medicine
(Aging) are due by May 31, 1999. Further information on nomination
procedures can be obtained from the General Secretariat, King Faisal
International Prize, P.O. Box 22476, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia, Tel:
+966-1-465-9030; Fax: +966-1-465-6524; E-mail: [email protected],
Web site: http://www.kff.com.
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