By: Paul Rivera
The Shaw Prize is a distinct award that is provided to individuals who bestow positive and profound impacts in the series of life. In the distinction of this award, three annual prizes are given based on the following categories: Life Science and Medicine, Mathematical Sciences and Astronomy. Once the winners are selected they receive an award of $1 million. The nominations are conducted by invited nominators only, and the individual cannot be self-nominated. The award is based on the tremendous impact provided by its founder Run Run Shaw, who founded charitable organizations. These organizations promote the education within science, technology, medicine and culture arts.
Six scientists were given awards for their research in the field. They are as follows:
- Harvard University - Daniel Eisenstein, Durham University - Shaun Cole, and University of Edinburgh - John Peacock, will share the astronomy prize for their contribution: measuring galaxy distribution. This distribution reveals the imprint of sound waves within the hot plasma, of the primordial universe.
- Kyoto University - Kazutoshi Mori, and University of California - Peter Walter, shared the life science and medicine award for the contribution: discovery of the unfolded protein response. This cellular signaling pathway helps to regulate protein production. This contribution directly impacts new possibilities for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology - George Lusztig was the final honoree for the mathematics prize. His fundamental contributions were credited for algebra, geometry, and the representation theory.
The awards bring a sense of motivation within the communities the leaders serve, and also provides a cash reward. Shaw, not only was a philanthropist, but a film pioneer that dominated Hollywood to Hong Kong. He passed this past January, at the remarkable age of 106, surrounded by his family.
