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Two Harvard researchers have been nominated for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists.
Charlie Conroy, professor of astronomy, was recognized for his research on our galaxy’s formation and how the distribution of dark matter is related to the early history of the Milky Way.
Philip J. Kranzusch, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was recognized for discovering how human innate immunity evolved from the defenses of ancient bacteria and revealing the molecular mechanisms that help human cells defend themselves against infections and cancer.
“I am very grateful for this award,” said Conroy. “As someone who has been on the Harvard faculty for over a decade, it is nice to still be referred to as a ‘Young Scientist.’”
Kranzusch responded: “The Blavatnik Award is an incredible honor for our lab’s discovery that human innate immunity evolved from ancient pathways in bacteria. We are excited to build on this foundation to define universal rules that control host-virus interactions across all kingdoms of life.”
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists honor outstanding contributions by researchers in the United States in the Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences and Engineering. Conroy and Kranzusch are among 18 finalists announced Tuesday, chosen by a jury of scientists from more than 300 nominees. The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences also make similar awards to young scientists in the United Kingdom and Israel.
Three winning laureates in the U.S. will be announced Oct. 7 at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Each laureate will receive unrestricted rewards of $250,000 and the remaining 15 finalists will receive $15,000.
