National Academy of Sciences honors 18 for major contributions to science

WASHINGTON — The National Academy of Sciences will honor 18 individuals with awards in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, and medical sciences.

Jane S. Richardson, Duke University, will receive the Alexander Hollaender Award in Biophysics for her pioneering work into the understanding of protein structures. The award is presented with $20,000 prize.

Michelle F. Thomsen, Planetary Science Institute and Los Alamos National Laboratory, will receive the Arctowski Medal for her discoveries related to planetary and solar physics. The medal is presented with a $100,000 prize, and $100,000 to support research in solar physics and solar terrestrial relationships.

Michal Lipson, Columbia University, will receive the Comstock Prize in Physics for her pioneering work in the field of silicon photonics. The prize is presented with a $50,000 prize, and $50,000 to support the recipient’s research.

Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Smithsonian Institution, will receive the G.K. Warren Prize for contributing to our understanding of how environmental factors drive evolution. The award is presented with a $20,000 prize.

Ola Svensson, School of Computer and Communication Sciences at EPFL, will receive the Michael and Sheila Held Prize for his elegant work on algorithms for discrete optimization problems. The award is presented with a $100,000 prize.

John C. Martin, Gilead Sciences Inc., will receive the NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society for his tireless contributions to human health, including treatments for HIV/AIDS.

Xiaowei Zhuang, Harvard University, will receive the NAS Award for Scientific Discovery for her pioneering contributions to super-resolution imaging and genomic-scale imaging methods. The award is presented with a $50,000 prize, and $50,000 to support the recipient’s research.

Robert C. Kennicutt Jr., University of Arizona and Texas A&M University, will receive the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing for field-defining work in the field of astrophysics. The award is presented with a $20,000 prize.

Jacqueline K. Barton, California Institute of Technology, will receive the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences for pioneering research on the chemistry of DNA. The award is presented with a $15,000 prize.

Norman R. Pace, University of Colorado, will receive the NAS Award in Early Earth and Life Sciences – Stanley Miller Medal for pioneering work into the diversity of life on Earth. The award is presented with a $10,000 prize.

David Reich, Harvard Medical School, will receive the NAS Award in Molecular Biology for his studies into ancient DNA and human migration. The award is presented with a $25,000 prize.

Eve Marder, Brandeis University, will receive the NAS Award in the Neurosciences for research that provides insight into the human and animal brain. The award is presented with a $25,000 prize.

Elizabeth Ainsworth, USDA Agricultural Research Service, will receive the NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for researching how climate change will affect crops. The award is presented with a $100,000 prize.

Liqun Luo, Stanford University, will receive the Pradel Research Award for pioneering research into neural circuits of invertebrates and vertebrates. The award is presented with a $50,000 research award to support neuroscience research.

Jay Shendure, University of Washington, will receive the Richard Lounsbery Award for his pioneering work in the second wave of genomics. The award is presented with a $50,000 prize.

Sharon R. Long, Stanford University, will receive the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology for molecular biology insights that explain how to make agriculture more sustainable. The award is presented with a $20,000 prize.

Adriana Galván, University of California, Los Angeles, and Tom Griffiths, Princeton University, will each receive a Troland Research Award. Galván is honored for her pioneering work studying adolescent brain development and behavior. Griffiths is recognized for his research into how people and machines make decisions. Each recipient is presented with a $75,000 prize to support their research.

The winners will be honored in a ceremony on Sunday, April 28, during the National Academy of Sciences’ 156th annual meeting.

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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.

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