Norway's largest charitable foundation bestows cash prize for TAU cancer geneticist's research on cell survival and DNA stability

IMAGE:This is professor Yosef Shiloh of Tel Aviv University. view more

Credit: American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU)

Norway's largest charitable organization, the Olav Thon Foundation, which invests heavily in medical research, awarded its first international research award in the medical and natural sciences to Tel Aviv University's Prof. Yosef Shiloh and Prof. Judith Campisi of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, California. The prize money, NOK 5,000,000 (approximately $660,000), was split between the two winners.

Prof. Shiloh, the Myers Professor of Cancer Genetics and Research Professor of the Israel Cancer Research Fund at TAU's Sackler School of Medicine, was recognized for his pioneering research on the mechanisms that maintain the survival of human cells and the stability of human genetic material.

A member of the Israel National Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Shiloh was a recipient of the prestigious Israel Prize (considered "Israel's Nobel") in Life Sciences in 2011, the 2011 American Association of Cancer Research G.H.A. Clowes Award, and the 2005 EMET Prize in Life Sciences.

"A prize means scientific recognition," said Prof. Shiloh. "Scientists do not work in order to get prizes or any other monetary benefits, but the award of a prize means that our work is recognized by our colleagues, and this is probably the true reward of a scientist."

Unraveling the genome

Prof. Shiloh has spent much of his career investigating the processes that maintain genome stability and the defense mechanisms against substances that damage our DNA. He has investigated how the harmful effects of such substances can be countered and offered insights into how mammalian cells react to DNA damage produced by environmental factors, such as radiation and carcinogenic chemicals.

According to the Foundation, "The laureates have provided us with new insights into the molecular basis of aging, aging-related diseases, and cellular degenerative processes."

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Tel Aviv University's professor Yosef Shiloh Receives first Olav Thon Foundation Prize