The 2024 VinFuture Special Prize for Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields is awarded to Professor Zelig Eshhar, Professor Carl H. June, and Professor Michel Sadelain for development of CAR T cell therapy for cancer and other diseases.
Professor Zelig Eshhar‘s groundbreaking work transformed cancer treatment by developing CAR T cell therapy, a “living drug” that has saved many lives and sparked a thriving biopharmaceutical industry. This innovation offers hope for new medical applications and affordable treatments worldwide. Professors Carl H. June and Michel Sadelain built on this progress, further improving CAR T cell therapy to effectively treat cancer and autoimmune diseases that resist standard therapies. Their pioneering work led to the approval of the first CAR T cell therapy by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for childhood and young adult acute lymphocytic leukemias and is now considered for clinical care world-wide.
The 2024 VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators has honored Professor Kristi S. Anseth for advancement in design of polymeric biomaterials and methods for biomedical applications.
Professor Kristi Anseth is a pioneer, who has developed biomaterial cell culture systems, to decipher extracellular matrix (ECM) signals that regulate tissue development, maintenance and regeneration. She designed synthetic ECM that captures the unique cell and dynamic tissue microenvironment in three-dimensional space that can be modulated on demand, providing a means to study 4D-biology. She studies how cells exchange information with the ECM and applies this knowledge to engineer biomaterials for tissue regeneration and disease states, as well as screening drugs.
She is renowned for blending modern molecular and cellular biology with engineering and mathematics to produce the next generation of biomaterials that are tissue substitutes able to restore, maintain, or improve tissue function.
Commenting on the results of the 2024 VinFuture Prize, Professor Sir Richard Friend, FRS, VinFuture Prize Council Chair, stated, “The 2024 VinFuture Prize Laureates have all made advances that have changed the world, and have brought unexpected and powerful new tools. The Grand Prize recognizes the unprecedented advances in Artificial intelligence. It celebrates three elements that together have propelled this success: fundamental advances in deep learning, data sets and the silicon GPU hardware. This year’s three Special Prizes celebrate advances in three very different areas of healthcare. These illustrate the breadth of science and technology that can bring practical and powerful solutions. The vision that the Founders set – to celebrate the potential for discovery and innovation to bring real benefits to societies across the whole globe – is very clearly delivered in the set of this year’s prize winners.”
The VinFuture Prize has solidified its position as one of the world’s most prestigious science and technology awards, with four successful prize seasons. Notably, numerous VinFuture Prize laureates have gone on to receive further accolades at prestigious global awards, validating VinFuture’s visionary approach and pioneering spirit. The VinFuture Foundation remains committed to its mission of serving humanity and inspiring innovation in Vietnamese science and technology. By fostering groundbreaking research and development, the Foundation aims to contribute to sustainable development and global prosperity.
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About the VinFuture Prize
The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Mrs. Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation’s core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide.
The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring female innovators, innovators from developing countries, and innovators with outstanding achievements in emerging fields.
In pursuit of its mission, the Foundation undertakes various activities. These include engaging in strategic grantmaking initiatives, fostering intellectual connections, and collaborating in the advancement of science and technology. Learn more at: https://vinfutureprize.org.
