MANHASSET, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Molecular Medicine announced today that it will confer the first Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine to Carl Nathan, MD, chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College for his discoveries in immunology. The Cerami award, which includes a $20,000 prize, is conferred semi annually by the peer-reviewed, open-access journal Molecular Medicine published by the Feinstein Institute. A monograph authored by Dr. Nathan, entitled "A Journey in Science: Promise, Purpose, Privilege," will be published October 3 in Molecular Medicine.
"The Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine was created to recognize investigators who provided the crucial early insight and ideas that are the essence of discovery, creating new fields and research trajectories followed by the persistent clinical investigation that ultimately changes how disease is prevented, diagnosed, and treated," said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president of the Feinstein Institute, editor-in-chief of Molecular Medicine, and Cerami Award committee member. "Carl Nathan epitomizes the insight, genius, and resolve that are at the heart of the discovery process."
"Anthony Cerami's work exemplifies the principle that basic research can be inspired by challenges in medicine and in turn can drive improvements in medical practice," Dr. Nathan said. "It is a special privilege to count him as a friend and to receive an award that bears his name.
"There is almost no chance in formal scientific publications to tell a personal story, certainly not one that spans more than 50 years," he added. "I hope this Cerami Award monograph and those that follow will give encouragement to younger scientists that what may seem to be a wandering or invisible path may turn out to be the fastest route to a new place, and that coming on a new place in science, and impacting medical practice, is an incomparable experience."
In the monograph, Dr. Nathan writes, "There are many privileges in research. The most obvious is to choose your own path. The most important is to communicate, potentially with anyone, in terms that allow verifiable understanding. Communication in music, art, literature and dance is limitless in intensity, but indeterminate in accuracy. Van Gogh's paintings move me, but there is no way to tell if I understand what he wanted to say. In science, we can repeat the experiment. If we get the same result, we understood, and we can build on that."
The Feinstein Institute is committed to celebrating the stewardship of the scientific process and imparting that perspective to young scientists. The Feinstein Institute also recognizes that the story behind making a discovery in medicine and healthcare is cherished and should be documented. The goal of the Cerami Award, and its associated monographs, is to document such innovations and discoveries, so that they endure and inspire future generations of investigators.
The Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine was made possible by the generosity of Anthony Cerami, an American entrepreneur and award-winning research scientist. He is the Hermann Boerhaave Visiting Professor at Leiden University Medical School in the Netherlands, and the founder, chairman of the Board and CEO of Araim Pharmaceuticals.
About Molecular Medicine
Molecular Medicine is an open access, international, peer-reviewed biomedical journal published by The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Molecular Medicine strives to understand normal body functioning and disease pathogenesis at the molecular level, which may allow researchers and physician-scientists to use that knowledge in the design of specific molecular tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. To learn more, visit www.molmed.org .
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 5th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information, visit www.FeinsteinInstitute.org .
Emily Ng 516-562-2670
