On September 19, the winners of the 2024 Lasker Awards were announced. Dr. Zhi-Jian Chen, a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a distinguished professor at the Southwest Medical Center, was honored with the Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. An alumnus of our university, Dr. Chen was recognized for his discovery of the cGAS enzyme, which detects both foreign and native DNA, solving the mystery of how DNA triggers immune and inflammatory responses.
Dr. Chen is notably the first Chinese scientist to receive the Lasker Basic Medical Research Award since 1963. Established by philanthropists Albert and Mary Lasker, the Lasker Award is one of the world's most esteemed biomedical research honors, celebrating scientists who have made significant contributions to understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing human diseases. Presented annually since 1946, the award is divided into four categories: basic medical research, clinical medical research, public service, and special achievement. Known as "America's Nobel Prize," the Lasker Award is the second most prestigious biomedical accolade in the United States and is often seen as a predictor of Nobel Prize winners. Statistics show that 48% of Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
(translated by Yang Yiting, reviewed by Ying Hongying)