In 2017, stem cell pioneer Irving Weissman was recognized by multiple organizations.
January 23, 2018
Irving Weissman, MD, professor of pathology and of developmental biology, received several awards and an honorary doctorate in 2017.
He received the 2017 Donald Metcalf Award from the International Society for Experimental Hematology. The award recognizes distinguished society members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of experimental hematology.
Weissman, who holds the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professorship for Clinical Innovation in Cancer Research, also received a 2017 National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, which recognizes accomplished leaders in cancer research and provides up to $600,000 a year for seven years. He plans to use the award to investigate whether mutations accumulate in a central nervous system stem cell clone that becomes a brain cancer stem cell.
He was awarded the 2017 Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award and Lectureship by the American Association of Blood Banking. The honor recognizes a scientist who has an international reputation in transfusion medicine or cellular therapies. Weissman was recognized for his pioneering role identifying and isolating the first hematopoietic stem cells in mice and humans.
He was awarded the Helmholtz International Fellow Award from the Helmholtz Association. The prize includes 20,000 euros (about $24,000) and an invitation to conduct research at one of the Helmholtz Centres. The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, funded by the German government, conducts research related to challenges facing society in several fields, including health.
In addition, he received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Turku in Finland.
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