Professor Karin, from the University of California, San Diego, will receive the award in the field of human health. He found the close connection between obesity * Prof. Polyakov is a theoretical physicist who devised theories that shaped the understanding of elementary particles
Professor Michael Karin and Professor Alexander Poliakov are the winners of the Technion's Harvey Award for 2010.
Professor Karin, from the University of California, San Diego, will receive the award in the field of human health. He found the close connection between obesity, the inflammatory process and cancer. The jury's decision states that Professor Karin will receive the award for his "pioneering contribution that led to the deciphering of the molecular mechanisms by which mammalian cells respond to inflammatory cytokines, environmental stress, and various pathogens." His research laid the foundations for our understanding of the control mechanisms of the activity of transcription factors activated by external stimuli and in particular of the transcription factors from the AP1 family as well as NFkB. These discoveries led to the identification of new cellular target proteins that are recently used for the development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of various malignant tumors."
Professor Polyakov will receive the award in the field of science and technology. "He came up with revolutionary theories that shaped our contemporary understanding of the elementary particles in nature. In addition, he contributed significantly to the physics of the condensed state, statistical mechanics and mathematics. Among the ideas attributed to him are the topological structures (such as magnetic monopoles) in calibration theories, which are important for understanding the confinement of quarks in the nucleus. In addition, Polyakov contributed to the foundations of string theory, the unification of quantum mechanics and gravity, and the idea of duality between strings and calibration theories."
The Technion's prestigious Harvey Prize predicted the winning of the last two Nobel Prize winners - Elizabeth Belburn (Medicine) and Ada Yonat from the Weizmann Institute (Chemistry). So far, 13 Harvey Laureates have won the Nobel Prize.
The Harvey Award was first given in 1972, from the foundation established by Leo M. The late Harvey of Los Angeles, in order to recognize great contributions to the advancement of humanity in the fields of science and technology, human health and the promotion of peace in the Middle East. From its fruits, prizes worth 75,000 dollars are awarded every year to each winner.
Among the winners of the prestigious Harvey Prize are scientists from the USA, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, France, and Israel, including Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the USSR, who was awarded the prize for his activities to reduce regional tensions; Professor Brett Sackman who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine, Professor Pierre Gilles Dan-Gen, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, Professor Edward Teller for his discoveries in solid state, atomic and nuclear physics and Professor William J. Kopf on the invention of the artificial kidney.
Nominations for the Harvey Prize are received from leading scientists and personalities in Israel and the world. The recipients of the award are selected by the Harvey Award committee through a strict process, at the Technion.
