The winners of the 2014 BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE in fundamental physics and life sciences were announced Dec. 12 at the NASA Ames Center, in Mountain View, Calif.
The prizes have a total awarded amount of $21 million.
The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciencesrecognizes excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life.
The 2014 recipients are:
- James Allison, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, won for the discovery of T cell checkpoint blockade as an effective cancer therapy.
- Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for discoveries leading to the development of controlled drug-release systems and new biomaterials.
- Michael Hall, of the University of Basel, for the discovery of Target of Rapamycin and its role in cell growth control.
- Alexander Varshavsky, of the California Institute of Technology, for discovering critical molecular determinants and biological functions of intracellular protein degradation.
- Mahlon DeLong, of Emory University, for defining the interlocking circuits in the brain that malfunction in Parkinson’s disease. This scientific foundation underlies the circuit-based treatment of Parkinson’s disease by deep brain stimulation.
- Richard Lifton, of Yale University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, for the discovery of genes and biochemical mechanisms that cause hypertension.
The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizes transformative achievements in the field of fundamental physics, with a focus on recent developments.
The 2014 winners are Michael Green, of the University of Cambridge, and John Schwarz, of California Institute of Technology, for opening new perspectives on quantum gravity and the unification of forces.
