Mary-Claire King to receive the 2006 Weizmann Women & Sci...( The American Committee for the Weizmann...)

The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science has announced that Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., who is internationally known for her contributions to the field of genetics, will receive the 2006 Weizmann Women & Science Award. The Award will be presented by journalist Lesley Stahl, correspondent for the CBS program 60 Minutes, at a ceremony at Rockefeller University on June 12.

"Prof. King's career demonstrates originality, dedication, and innovation," said Sara Lee Schupf, Chair of the nominating committee and initiator of the Award. "Widely respected within the scientific community, her monumental accomplishments have the potential to improve the quality of life for millions. She embodies the spirit of the Weizmann Women & Science Award, and is a superb role model for young women."

Prof. King is the American Cancer Society Research Professor of Medicine and Genome Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her primary research focus is the characterization of inherited breast cancer, and she was the first to prove that breast cancer is inherited in some families. Her major findings include the discovery of the BRCA 1 gene that predisposes individuals to this widespread disease, which kills 40,000 women annually in the U.S. Prof. King's other interests include inherited deafness, systemic lupus erythematosus, human genetic diversity and evolution, and the application of genomics to human rights problems. Her laboratory has carried out DNA identifications for the War Crimes Tribunal of the United Nations. She has been recognized with many prestigious honors, such as the Clowes Award in Basic Research from the American Association of Cancer Research, the Jill Rose Award from the American Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Brinker Award from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Prof. King has served on many councils and committees related to women's health and public policy.

The Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, is a wo
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Contact: Gail Goldberg
gailg@acwis.org
212-895-7950
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
23-May-2006

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