The 12th Annual Ross Prize Symposium will be held June 4 in New York City
MANHASSET, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has selected Jeffery W. Kelly, PhD, from Scripps Research, to receive the 12th annual Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine. Dr. Kelly is recognized for his groundbreaking research into protein folding, misfolding and aggregation, along with their impact on developing novel therapeutic strategies for amyloid diseases. The prize will be presented on June 4, in conjunction with the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), at The Cure, 345 Park Ave. S in Manhattan. The award ceremony will be part of a half-day research symposium. Registration information for the in-person and virtual event is available here.
The Ross Prize is made possible by the generosity of Feinstein Institutes board vice chairman Jack Ross and his wife, Robin, assistant vice president of principal gifts at the Northwell Foundation. Established in 2013, the Ross Prize is awarded annually through the Feinstein Institutes’ peer-reviewed, open-access journal Molecular Medicine. The prize includes a $50,000 award for the recipient and is given to investigators whose research shows high potential for transforming how to treat and cure disease.
“A pioneer in protein chemistry, Dr. Kelly’s work revealed fundamental new insights into protein misfolding and aggregation,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research and editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. “The Ross Prize recognizes the significance and importance of his research for developing novel therapies for patients living with amyloid diseases.”
Dr. Kelly’s research focuses on the intricate mechanisms of protein folding and the consequences of misfolding and aggregation, which are implicated in a range of debilitating diseases. His lab’s discoveries have been instrumental in developing Tafamidis, a drug that stabilizes the native structure of transthyretin, preventing its aggregation and amyloid formation causing degeneration of the peripheral, autonomic and central nervous systems. This work paved the way for other novel therapeutic approaches to combat amyloid diseases, or disorders that are characterized by the buildup of abnormal proteins in the body’s tissues and organs. The proteins, when misfolded, clump together to form insoluble fibers that disrupt normal organ functions.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Ross Prize,” said Dr. Kelly, the Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Chemistry at Scripps Research. “This recognition underscores the importance of fundamental research in protein chemistry and its potential for translation into life-changing therapies for patients suffering from devastating degenerative diseases.”
Following a brief award presentation, Dr. Kelly will deliver a keynote address discussing his research. The symposium will also feature presentations by other prominent scientists in related fields:
- Donald Cleveland, PhD, University of California, San Diego;
- Lars Lannfelt, MD, PhD, Uppsala Universitet;
- Mathew Maurer, MD, Columbia University Irving Medical Center;
“Robin and I are continually inspired by the remarkable achievements of the Ross Prize recipients,” said Jack Ross. “We are proud to support Dr. Kelly’s groundbreaking research and its potential to transform the lives of countless individuals affected by amyloid diseases.”
Ross Prize recipients continue to make breakthroughs in their respective fields. Last year, Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, was awarded for her research on the relationship between brain cells, the immune system and brain cancer. Helen H. Hobbs, MD, and Jonathan C. Cohen, PhD, received the 2023 Ross Prize for their discovery of the genetic cause of fatty liver disease, which led to a new class of drugs that lower cholesterol. Ross Prize 2022 recipients Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking messenger RNA research that helped develop COVID-19 vaccines.
To learn more about the Ross Prize celebration and symposium, please visit: Northwell.edu/RossPrize.
Past recipients of the Ross Prize are: Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, Helen H. Hobbs, MD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth (Dallas, Texas) and Jonathan C. Cohen, PhD, professor of Internal Medicine, Center for Human Nutrition and Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development; Katalin Karikó, PhD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine adjunct professor and senior vice president at BioNTech and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research; Adrian R. Krainer, PhD, Cold Spring Harbor (New York) Laboratory professor; Daniel Kastner, MD, PhD, the National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute (Bethesda, MD) scientific director; Huda Y. Zoghbi, MD, professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurology and Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX); Jeffrey V. Ravetch, MD, PhD, the Theresa and Eugene M. Lang Professor and head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology at The Rockefeller University in Manhattan; Charles N. Serhan, PhD, DSc, director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Simon Gelman Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard (MA) Medical School and professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital; John J. O’Shea, MD, scientific director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, MD); and Dan R. Littman, MD, PhD, the Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology in the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at New York University School of Medicine.
About the Feinstein Institutes:
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.
About Molecular Medicine
Molecular Medicine sits at the forefront of its field, rapidly disseminating discovery in the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of physiology and disease across a broad range of specialties. With over two decades of experience publishing to a multidisciplinary audience, and continually celebrating innovation through the ‘Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine’ and ‘Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine,’ the journal strives towards the design of better molecular tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Molecular Medicine is published by BMC, part of Springer/Nature, in partnership with The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.
About the New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science for the benefit of society. With more than 20,000 Members in 100 countries, the Academy advances scientific and technical knowledge, addresses global challenges with science-based solutions, and sponsors a wide variety of educational initiatives at all levels for STEM and STEM related fields. The Academy hosts programs and publishes content in the life and physical sciences, the social sciences, nutrition, artificial intelligence, computer science, and sustainability. The Academy also provides professional and educational resources for researchers across all phases of their careers. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.
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Julianne Mosher Allen
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