Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
The Award
The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research salutes the most passionate and creative scientists of our day. It serves as a tribute to Johnson & Johnson’s own Dr. Paul Janssen, whose legacy as one of the most productive scientists of the 20th century continues to inspire the company’s commitment to finding innovative cures for unmet medical needs. The award includes a $100,000 prize and acknowledges the work of an individual who has made a significant, transformational contribution toward the improvement of human health.
Johnson & Johnson created the award in 2004 with the following goals: • To honor the memory of Janssen, his dedication to excellence and his leadership of young scientists • To promote, recognize and reward passion and creativity in biomedical research • To underline Johnson & Johnson's commitment to scientific excellence in the advancement of healthcare knowledge, while fulfilling its responsibility in the community
Paul Adriaan Jan Janssen (1926 - 2003)
Known to his colleagues as “Dr. Paul,” Janssen was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V., a pharmaceutical research laboratory based in Beerse, Belgium, and a physician-scientist who helped save millions of lives through his contribution to the discovery and development of more than 80 medicines. His work was responsible for many breakthroughs in several fields of disease, including pain management, psychiatry, infectious disease and gastroenterology. In addition, he has more than 100 patents to his name.
The Selection Process
The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research award recipients are selected by a committee of independent, internationally-renowned scientists from leading academic and scientific institutions, whose own research contributions have resulted in critical advances in improving human health. The 2008 Selection Committee includes past Nobel Laureates, as well as members of the National Academy of Sciences.
The selection committee chooses a scientist in basic or clinical research, who: • Has made a significant contribution to research that has impacted, or has strong potential to impact, human health through the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease; • Exhibits the standards of innovation, insight and leadership that Janssen exemplified during his career; • Provides a living example that the study of science and technology can enable or has the potential to enable extended, healthy, productive life; and • Displays a set of ethical values consistent with the Johnson & Johnson Credo and those values that guide Johnson & Johnson.
The award can be given to a scientist in academia, government, industry, a private research institution or medical or clinical practice. It typically will recognize an individual scientist, but can be shared in circumstances in which the contributions of the nominees are viewed as being of similar importance.
Previous Recipients
The inaugural recipient of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research was Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., professor of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Mass., and investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Mello was selected for his role in the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) and the elucidation of its biological functions. Shortly after receiving the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, Mello and his colleague Andrew Z. Fire, Ph.D. were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2006 for their discovery of RNAi.
Professor Marc Feldmann, FMedSci, FAA, FRS and Emeritus Professor Sir Ravinder Maini, FRCP, FMedSci, FRS of The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London received the 2008 Award for their role in the discovery of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or TNF-alpha, as an effective therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.
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