Richard H. Scheller and Thomas C. Südhof to be honored for discoveries concerning the molecular machinery and regulatory mechanism that underlie the rapid release of neurotransmitters.
The 2013 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award honors two scientists for their discoveries concerning rapid neurotransmitter release, a process that underlies all of the brain’s activities. Richard H. Scheller (Genentech) and Thomas C. Südhof (Stanford University School of Medicine) identified and isolated many of this reaction’s key elements, unraveled central aspects of its fundamental mechanism, and deciphered how cells govern it with extreme precision. These advances have provided a molecular framework for understanding some of the most devastating disorders that afflict humans as well as normal functions such as learning and memory.
The Lasker Awards are among the most respected science prizes in the world. Since 1945, the Awards Program has recognized the contributions of scientists, physicians, and public servants who have made major advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of human disease. Lasker Awards often presage future recognition by the Nobel committee, so they have become popularly known as “America’s Nobels.” Eighty-three Lasker laureates have received the Nobel Prize, including 31 in the last two decades.
The Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award honors scientists whose fundamental investigations have provided techniques, information, or concepts contributing to the elimination of major causes of disability and death.
To learn more about Richard H. Scheller (Genentech) and Thomas C. Südhof (Stanford University School of Medicine)’s award winning research, click here.