Academy Announcement - NYAS

This new conference will showcase advances in biomedicine and how they are translating to better treatment options, as well as new avenues for research.

Published March 23, 2016

By Diana Friedman

The New York Academy of Sciences and The Sohn Conference Foundation today announced the inaugural Sohn Conference: Pediatric Cancer in a Post-genomic World, taking place March 30 to April 1, 2016 in New York City. Sponsored by The Sohn Conference Foundation, this conference is the first of its kind to convene leaders in the global pediatric cancer community to share latest developments in research and treatment.

“The Sohn Conference Foundation has brought together elite thought leaders in the global investing community for more than 20 years, and with the launch of this conference in partnership with The New York Academy of Sciences, we strive to do the same in the pediatric cancer space. By breaking down the silos of science and encouraging the industry to collaborate on advancements in research, we can bring life-saving treatments to children battling cancer across the globe,” says Evan Sohn, Vice President, The Sohn Conference Foundation.

The Leading Cause of Death

In the United States, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children and globally, more than 250,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Advances in cancer research and treatment have helped more children survive into adulthood, but have also underscored the need for more precise therapeutic options for this vulnerable population. Further, because the genetic profiles of children are less complex than adults, pediatric cancer research is critical not only to children, but to efforts that will unlock the cure for other cancers.

This 2 1/2-day conference will convene leading researchers, clinicians, pediatric cancer advocates, and industry and governmental stakeholders from around the world. The highly-regarded speaker lineup includes scientists who are on the forefront of pediatric cancer research, who will discuss the latest biomedical advancements that will have a tangible impact on children fighting cancer.

“It’s tremendously exciting to be part of this important meeting. The speaker list is a real ‘Who’s Who’ of the leaders in paediatric cancer genomics. The timing for this meeting that will bring the world’s thought leaders together to discuss and debate how best to bring the amazing advances we have made in the lab to the bedside of children with cancer is perfect,” says Richard Gilbertson, MD, PhD, Director, Cambridge Cancer Center, The University of Cambridge. “I am looking forward to the science that will be presented and discussed as well as the ripples of progress that will spread out long after the last talk is over.”

Bridging Genomics and Immunotherapy

Gilbertson will kick off the conference with a keynote speech on “The Successes and Future Direction of Pediatric Cancer Research and Therapy.” Craig B. Thompson, MD, President and CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will present a second keynote speech on “The Role of Epigenetic and Metabolic Mutations in Stem Cell Maintenance and Pediatric Cancers.”

The conference agenda includes sessions on emerging cutting-edge basic and clinical research in epigenetics, mechanisms of metastasis and disease recurrence, disease risk factors, and diagnostics in pediatric oncology, as well as novel therapies and strategies to improve clinical development and treatment access.

“Bridging the fields of genomics and immunotherapy together is our greatest hope,” says conference speaker and member of the scientific organizing committee John Maris, MD, Pediatric Oncologist, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, of his work on neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood. “We will be increasingly individualizing therapy based on the unique features of the patients and their heritable genome and the evolving cancer genome/proteome. The road to translating research findings into novel therapies is long, but we’re working on it.”

Also read: The Latest Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research

A New Effort to Promote STEM Across the Globe

Flags from various countries waving in the wind.

With a goal of reaching 1,000,000 students in over 100 countries, an unprecedented public-private partnership just launched a multi-million-dollar investment in STEM education.

Published September 24, 2014

By Diana Friedman

On September 22, 2014 at the United Nations, heads of state, leaders of UN agencies, senior executives of major multinational corporations, and major philanthropists announced the launch of the Global STEM Alliance, a collaboration of governments, companies, schools and NGOs devoted to increasing access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education for students worldwide.

The Alliance is an initiative of The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy), in partnership with over 70 governments, companies, NGOs, universities and schools and with participants and organizations in over 50 countries. The Alliance also announced that it is investing millions of dollars in order to inspire over 1,000,000 children worldwide to become STEM leaders in more than 100 countries by 2020.

The Global STEM Alliance launches with several Founding Partners: ARM, Cisco, the Global Sustainable Development Foundation, and the PepsiCo Foundation, as well as a group of Founding Nations and Regions, including Barcelona, Benin, Bhutan, Croatia, Malaysia, New York State, Rwanda, and the United States.

The “Global STEM Paradox”

The launch event, co-hosted by UNESCO and its Director General Irina Bokova and the International Telecommunications Union and its Secretary General, Hamadoun Touré, featured Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, United States Under-Secretary of State Catherine Novelli, and representatives from UNESCO and ITU. Speakers outlined what the Alliance refers to as the “Global STEM Paradox”: while there are more STEM graduates than ever before, they aren’t in the right places, aren’t work ready and don’t represent the diversity necessary for global innovation. Meanwhile, there are too few work-ready STEM graduates in emerging nations, where innovation is needed the most.

Members of the Alliance proposed a solution to the STEM paradox: an ecosystem of enlightened government policies, strategic business incentives, and innovative Web-based and one-to-one and one-to-many mentoring approaches that, together, create the necessary incentives for students to seek, acquire, and employ STEM skills.

Mentoring, Skill Development, and Networking

The failure to engage students with talent leads to the loss of millions of high skill STEM workers in places that desperately need them. To combat that, the Alliance will focus on three strategies: intergenerational mentoring, building foundational skills and building a global network of STEM innovators.

The fulcrum on which the Global STEM Alliance rests is a remarkably successful program taking place in 8 cities around the world (soon expanding to many other countries) that trains postgraduates and young corporate scientists and engineers to act as volunteer mentors and role models. Those mentors provide hands-on science experiences and inspiration to primary school students in underserved neighborhoods.

The first major new initiative of the Global STEM Alliance will be the development and launch of the Junior Academy, a virtual learning and research platform to inspire and prepare gifted STEM students around the world. The platform will include novel talent identification mechanisms, course work and authentic virtual research experiences, access to mentors, and an online writing center-tools that are especially valuable in developing, rural or impoverished urban areas, where qualified STEM instructors can be scarce.

Advancing Gender Diversity in STEM

The Alliance also announced 1000 Girls – 1000 Futures, a new commitment with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action, representing an investment of $2 million over three years. The effort will increase the number of women in STEM fields through a coordinated, comprehensive program that will lead to new skills, greater engagement and ultimately, the desire to enter the STEM fields.

In an effort to increase work-ready STEM graduates, especially in underrepresented populations like women and rural communities, both the heads of states and corporate executives affirmed their commitment to STEM education as a means to foster economic growth and promote scientific innovation in Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and the world’s developing nations.

“It gives me great pleasure to join in launching of the Global STEM Alliance,” said Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia. “As we all know, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are at the heart of modern life and provide the foundations for economic prosperity. The purpose of driving STEM education is not only to create economic opportunity for individuals; it’s to provide the fuel needed to power a science and technology driven economy. STEM and therefore STEM education – are vital to our future – the future of our country and the future of our children.”

Also read: Sustainable Development for a Better Tomorrow

Advancing Science Education in New York City

With support from donors as well as public entities, The New York Academy of Sciences is launching a new initiative to improve science education in the city, and beyond.

Published December 1, 2010

By Adrienne J. Burke

Image courtesy of Drazen via stock.adobe.com.

With the support of several generous and committed members and in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) in November launched an initiative to serve science teachers in New York and beyond.

The Academy’s New York City Science Education Initiative was unveiled on the heels of President Obama’s announcement of a federal campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Academy initiative aims to forge a community of science education professionals and provide a forum where they can convene, learn, and collaborate about science education policy, curriculum, and classroom best practices.

The initiative will also facilitate connections between education professionals and Academy members from the broader scientific research community. Seed funding of $130,000 from the Pamela B. and Thomas C. Jackson Fund and from Drs. Gabrielle Reem and Herbert Kayden will underwrite Academy memberships for as many as 1,300 high school teachers and cover the expenses for the Academy to host science educators’ events. Another $20,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will support development of a dedicated educators’ Website and underwrite Academy memberships for teachers in schools recognized for educational excellence by the Sloan Foundation.

“It’s critical that science teachers have access to up-to-date resources and research in order to inform and inspire their students,” says Kiryn Hoffman, the Academy’s director of development who spearheaded fundraising for the new initiative. “They are challenged to stay at the forefront not only of scientific trends and breakthroughs, but also of the best methods to shape learning goals and strategies to actively engage students.”

Serving the Needs of New York Teachers and Students

In September 2009, 28 New York City science education stakeholders gathered in the Academy’s boardroom. Among the group was New York’s Deputy Mayor for Education, Dennis Walcott. From the lively discussion emerged a proposal for how the Academy could serve the needs of New York’s teachers and students.

Fernand Brunschwig, a professor of science education at Empire State College, SUNY, is chairing the new initiative. Brunschwig says that from the time he was first introduced to the Academy many years ago by Don Cook, professor of science education at Bank Street College and a past chair of the Academy’s Science Education Section, he has seen great potential for advancing science education through the Academy. The stakeholders’ meeting presented a diversity of ideas, and, he adds “all in attendance agreed that it’s a good time to make this effort.”

Benefits of Academy Membership for Educators

Brunschwig led a steering committee meeting in November that brought several science educators together. The group agreed that science teachers could best be served by events that address classroom teaching issues specific to science teachers. “We’re going to be guided by teachers—by those on the committee and others, as well as by the Department of Education, in trying to make events valuable and attractive,” Brunschwig says. By virtue of being members of the Academy, teachers will also gain free admission throughout the year to more than 100 professional events in various scientific disciplines where they can build relationships with practicing research scientists.

The new initiative will also produce webinars and eBriefings targeted at science teachers, as well as online social networking and an online calendar that tracks events, workshops, and other programs elsewhere in the New York region specifically of interest to science education professionals. Brunschwig envisions the initiative providing unique opportunities for educators to meet, interact, and collaborate with others from outside their school, institution, or region.

Also read: Science Education: The Why Behind the What

What is the Life Science Angel Network?

The “Life Science Angel Network” will promote innovation and match healthcare startups with early-stage funding.

Published November 18, 2010

By Adrienne J. Burke

The New York Academy of Sciences launched the Life Science Angel Network (LSAN) at an event at the Academy’s lower Manhattan headquarters on Thursday, November 18. The new investment network is designed to connect scientists and entrepreneurs with funding to support innovations in biotechnology, medical devices, and healthcare IT. The Academy’s partners in the program include many of the city’s leading academic institutions and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

As the first angel group in New York City focused on healthcare and life sciences, the Life Science Angel Network will fill the gap between New York and tri-state area technology transfer offices, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists by providing capital primarily through individual member contributions and sponsorships from organizations involved in supporting innovation and building companies. The program will leverage the Academy’s wide-ranging network in the life sciences industry to uncover, fund, and mentor a wide variety of emerging life sciences companies.

A Worldwide Center for Bioscience

“New York City has one of the largest concentrations of life science and biomedical research institutions in the world, but many of the new and innovative technologies they are producing lack the funding required for commercialization,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The Academy’s Life Science Angel Network will create new access to capital and establish new opportunities for our talented researchers to develop contacts within the investment and entrepreneurial communities. And it will further promote New York City as a worldwide center for bioscience.”

Seth W. Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, a government partner in the network, said, “New York City’s life science companies regularly develop new and innovative technologies, but we know that there is even more potential from this important industry. I applaud the efforts of The New York Academy of Sciences to create this new angel network that will support the crucial life sciences sector that has the power not only to create new jobs, but to change how we live in fundamental ways.”

Dr. Milena Adamian, Director of the Angel Network at The New York Academy of Sciences, said, “Our Mission is to provide young life sciences companies with financial and operational support, sector-specific mentorship, and access to a broad network of investors and entrepreneurs for subsequent institutional financing.”

Business plans submitted to the LSAN will be screened by a multi-disciplinary expert panel of clinicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and investment professionals. Selected candidates will present to the entire membership to seek financing with clearly defined milestones and timelines.

Deep Scientific and Business Resources

“The New York Academy of Sciences uniquely offers company founders and inventors with deep scientific and business resources to advance medical technologies through the earliest stages of development. The caliber of the participants in the LSAN provides the potential to spark growth and expansion of both entrepreneurship and early-stage financing of life sciences technologies based in New York City and the Tri-State area,” said Steven Hochberg, member of the Board of Governors of The New York Academy of Sciences and managing partner of Ascent Biomedical Ventures, a NYC-based early stage venture capital fund focused on biomedical technologies.

“With a large concentration of universities, research institutions, and medical centers that attract some of the world’s best talent, New York City is a national leader in research and development in the life sciences,” said President & CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, Ellis Rubinstein. “Despite having such unmatched resources, NYC has, until now, been missing a focused organization that will consolidate the efforts of turning research ideas into improved patient care by providing early-stage funding to promising new companies with validated technologies.”

Founding sponsors of the Life Science Angel Network are Ascent Biomedical Ventures, CBIZ MHM, LLC, Meditech Strategic Consultants, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Partners include the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Downtown Alliance, NYU Ventures, Columbia Technology Ventures, Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization, NYC Investment Fund, Office of Technology and Business Development at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Office of Industrial Liaison at Sloan Kettering, and Hospital for Special Surgery.

Also read: A Science State of Mind in the Empire State

The History and Science of Ship’s Hull on WTC Site

The New York Academy of Sciences is hosting an event to explore the hull of an 18th century ship that was recently unearthed on the site of the World Trade Center.

Published September 1, 2010

By Adrienne J. Burke

The Tribute WTC Visitor Center and The New York Academy of Sciences will present “An Historic Hull on Hallowed Ground: Three Experts Discuss the 200-Year-Old Ship Next Door,” a free public event at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 30.

The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, a museum that tells the personal stories of September 11th, and the Academy, which is headquartered in 7 World Trade Center, have invited an archaeologist, a conservationist, and a maritime historian to present a behind-the-scenes look into the 18th century ship remnant that was discovered in July at the World Trade Center reconstruction site.

Michael Pappalardo, the supervising archaeologist for AKRF at the World Trade Center, Norman Brouwer, a maritime historian specializing in New York City maritime history, and Nichole Doub, head conservator at the MAC Lab which is stabilizing the unearthed wood, will each explain the work they have done to help understand the story of this surprising discovery 25 feet below street level.

An Historic Hull on Hallowed Ground

Pappalardo will show images of the ship where it was found and discuss its relationship to the archaeology of the site. Doub will talk about removing and transporting the ship and the painstaking work of stabilizing the wood in a premier laboratory for this type of work. Brouwer, formerly of the South Street Seaport Museum, will hypothesize on the voyages of the ship and compare it to other ship remnants found in Lower Manhattan over the past 30 years.

Although the ship bears no direct connection to the original World Trade Center, some of its characteristics resonate with more recent history. A curator found what is believed to be a coin from the mast-stepping box, which would have been placed on a new ship to bring good fortune to future crews, according to ancient Greek maritime custom. The recently launched USS NY, which was made with 7.5 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center, had symbolic coins placed in its mast-stepping box when it was built.

The two institutions presenting this program, Tribute, on the south side of the World Trade Center site, and the Academy, on the north side, are united in their interest in bringing information about this historic aspect of the World Trade Center neighborhood to light.

“An Historic Hull on Hallowed Ground” will take place at the New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St., 40th floor, at 7:30 pm, Thursday, September 30.

Also read: Prehistoric Sloth-Like Creatures May Have Roamed the US

Partnering on Clean Tech Leadership Forum

A column of monetary figures on a computer monitor.

An Academy event, in collaboration with the Knowledge Economy Institute, assembles high-level clean technology stakeholders at the New York Stock Exchange.

Published May 11, 2010

By Adrienne J. Burke

Image courtesy of Koonsiri via stock.adobe.com.

What will it take to build a new generation of high-growth entrepreneurial R&D businesses working at the bio-clean technology interface to produce jobs and solutions for global problems? That was the question at hand when staff with The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) moderated a leadership forum at the New York Stock Exchange last week. On Thursday, May 6, and Friday, May 7, the Academy joined partners from the Knowledge Economy Institute and a select group of high-level clean energy stakeholders for the NYSE-KE2 “Clean Tech Economy Leadership Forum.”

The invitation-only forum was designed to explore what needs to happen to ensure that the U.S. can build scale to innovate, commercialize, and rebuild the economy with new jobs and solutions for critical global challenges. Leaders from business, investment, research institutions, government, and philanthropic organizations were invited to discuss and debate how to produce sustainable economic growth in the face of today’s new reality.

The two-day forum emphasized clean energy and the convergence of different fields of science and technology; and of different business models and business sectors, such as biotechnology, energy, IT, and materials. Participants included representatives of CMEA Capital, United Technologies, Ernst & Young Americas Cleantech Network, Deutsche Bank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers Green Tech Initiative, GE Global Research Center, Goldman Sachs & Co. Environmental Markets Group, McKinsey & Co., and the NYC Mayor’s Office, among many others.

Creating Value in Clean Energy

A roundtable on Thursday afternoon examined ways to find and create value in clean energy, and to mobilize science and technology investments. And on Friday, after Knowledge Economy Institute Managing Director Michael Whitehouse rang the NYSE Opening Bell, discussions centered on achieving U.S. leadership in clean technology, clean technology capital formation and financing strategies, business models and market creation strategies for emerging clean technologies, and public- and private-sector strategies for incubating clean technology.

Forum organizers issued a challenge to participants to come up with new ideas for accelerating the transfer of developments from the research lab to the commercial pipeline and tangible outcomes: “Responding to the need for a more efficient approach to incubating and harvesting promising new technologies, we challenge participants to consider how you can apply your knowledge and resources to accelerate the impact of public investment in research.”

Also read: Promoting Clean Energy in New York

Uniting the Best Science Minds in the US, Spain

A three-year partnership will establish, disseminate, and promote science in Catalonia, some of which will engage non-scientific members of the public.

Published March 8, 2010

By Adrienne J. Burke

Aerial view of Placa d’Espanya, landmark in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Image courtesy of marcorubino via stock.adobe.com.

The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) and Talència, (formerly known as the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació) of Barcelona have established a collaboration aimed at promoting science in the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain.

The three-year partnership will establish, disseminate, and promote science in Catalonia through a variety of measures. First, the Academy and Talència have agreed to collaborate on the development of several high-quality scientific symposia in interdisciplinary topics to highlight Catalonia science to the global scientific community. Public lectures associated with each scientific event will also translate the science presented at these symposia for non-scientific audiences, thereby increasing scientific knowledge in Catalonia. To further promote public understanding of science in Catalonia, the agreement aims to provide additional opportunities for Catalan non-scientists to listen to world-renowned thought leaders discuss relevant and interesting scientific issues.

Communicating Science

The Academy and Talència have also agreed to create and disseminate professional print and electronic materials that present to the Catalan scientific community and the world the scientific research being undertaken in Catalonia. And the Academy has agreed to work to connect up-and-coming young Catalan scientists with other promising young faculty and post-docs globally via the Science Alliance. The agreement calls for the Academy to offer 100 one-year memberships to the Alliance to support the best and brightest Catalan scientists-in-training.

Talència, a public institution and instrument of the Government of Catalonia, implements measures aimed at fostering and recognizing research in Catalonia, and seeks to become a useful organization and an international reference point for its research community.

As a new research-boosting institution in Catalonia, Talència is set up to contribute to the mandate of the Catalan Agreement on Research and Innovation (CARI)—promoted by the Catalan Ministry of Innovation, Research and Innovation and signed in October 2008—which raises the need of adopting a new intelligent, efficient, and effective research governance system in Catalonia, amongst other challenges.

Also read: A New Partnership Aims to Strengthen US-China STEM Collaborations

A New Approach to Treating HIV/AIDS in Iran

The recipients of the 2009 Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award are a widely acclaimed brother duo known for their successful HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment work.

Published September 17, 2009

By Adrienne J. Burke

Image courtesy of stu-khaii via stock.adobe.com.

Two Iranian physicians, brothers long involved in fighting HIV/AIDS in that country and tried and sentenced to prison in January 2009, have been named recipients of the 2009 Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award from The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy).

Drs. Arash and Kamiar Alaei “have worked tirelessly and selflessly for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Iran over a period of many years,” the Academy’s Board of Governors Committee on Human Rights of Scientists said in issuing the award.

“Their work has been successful in diminishing the spread of this serious illness in Iran and in publicizing concrete and specific ways to move forward in the struggle to achieve this goal…They have persisted against opposition within Iran at great personal cost.”

The Alaeis’ work “has been recognized by major international organizations, including the 2008 report by the UNAIDS organization, which referred to their activities as a model for other developing nations,” the committee said.

The award was presented this evening at the Academy’s 191st Annual Meeting by Henry Greenberg, chair of the Human Rights of Scientists Committee. Ladan Alomar, Executive Director of the Centro Civico of Amsterdam, Inc., accepted the award on behalf of the doctors.

Dr. Arash Alaei is the former Director of the International Education and Research Cooperation of the Iranian National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. His brother, Kamiar, is a Fellow of the Asia Society and doctoral candidate at the SUNY Albany School of Public Health.

Helping the Ostracized and Stigmatized

In addition to their work in Iran, the Alaeis have held training courses for Afghan and Tajik medical workers. Their work with drug addicts and prostitutes in Tehran was featured in a 2004 BBC television documentary, Mohammed and the Matchmaker, in which Kamiar Alaei said: “We face a huge potential HIV problem in Iran, and in order to start to confront it we need to talk about the root causes…Many people are still afraid to talk about it. Some people with HIV are ostracized and stigmatized, and they are often very isolated.”

Despite the Alaeis’ success – Iran’s response to HIV/AIDS has won international acclaim and World Health Organization recognition as a model of best practice – the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has not been supportive.

Arash Alaei was arrested by Iranian security forces in June 2008, his brother the next day. Iranian authorities accused the two, and two other defendants, of “communications with an enemy government” and of seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. The brothers, who have no history of political activism, were tried, convicted and sentenced to prison in January 2009.

The Alaeis’ imprisonment has drawn protests from numerous international human rights groups, including Physicians for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The American Medical Association has lent its support as well, including sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which it strongly urged “that discussions of human rights, justice and respect for the medical profession (and the Alaei brothers specifically) must be a part of any opening dialogue with Iran.”

Also read: Promoting Science, Human Rights in the Middle-East

Helping Physicians Better Understand Genomics

A new initiative will include an array of efforts, such as a series of ongoing symposia and online community-building tools.

Published June 18, 2009

By Adrienne J. Burke

Image courtesy of Anusorn via stock.adobe.com.

The Life Technologies Foundation has awarded The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) a two-year, $400,000 grant to help educate thousands of physicians and medical students in how to utilize new technologies and share cutting-edge research to improve healthcare and understand disease.

“There is a critical need to educate our physicians, both the current generation and the next, to use genomics to think about disease and treatments, and to apply the latest discoveries in this field to the understanding of human health,” said the Academy’s Scientific Director Stacie Grossman Bloom.

To do this, the Academy will build a live and virtual, global community of physicians, medical students and scientists, focused on the pressing issues and challenges of using new technologies in medicine. Organizers hope this effort can serve as a model of improving physician education and health outcomes in urban centers throughout the nation.

The grant was among three that the Foundation made to organizations working to advance science. “We are proud to support these innovative organizations that advance scientific understanding,” said Greg Lucier, Chairman and CEO of Life Technologies. “The grantees we have chosen are working to demystify science to the public by providing training and access for using biology to make life even better.”

The Life Technologies Foundation is a non-profit arm of Life Technologies Corporation, a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition.

Also read: Collaboration Is Key to Breaking New Ground in Genomics

Promoting Human Rights through Science

An imprisoned Cuban physician and a Guatemalan forensic scientist are the Academy’s 2008 Human Rights Award recipients.

Published September 18, 2008

By Bill Silberg

Image courtesy of Manpeppe via stock.adobe.com.

An imprisoned Cuban physician and a Guatemalan forensic scientist have been awarded The New York Academy of Sciences Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award for 2008.

The Academy’s Human Rights Committee bestowed the awards on Oscar Elias Biscet, MD, and Fredy Peccerelli. The presentation took place during the Academy’s September 18 Annual Meeting. Dr. Angel Garrido of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, of which Dr. Biscet is president, accepted the award on his colleague’s behalf.

Dr. Biscet, a 46-year-old community organizer and human rights advocate, is a widely known Cuban political prisoner who began serving a 25-year term in 2002. He is the founder of the Lawton Foundation, a human rights organization that peacefully promotes the rights of Cubans through nonviolent civil disobedience. In 1998, Dr. Biscet and his wife, Elsa Morejon, a nurse, were both fired from the Havana Municipal Hospital for his open criticism of the Cuban government. In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded Dr. Biscet the Medal of Freedom, one of many honors he has received for his human rights work.

Peccerelli is a founding member of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation. Since 1992 his Foundation has carried out exhumations of unmarked mass graves containing the remains of individuals murdered during that country’s 36-year armed conflict. Despite repeated threats against him and his family, Peccerelli has continued to carry out their work. This work has provided forensic investigation teams with crucial scientific evidence in the few cases where perpetrators of human rights abuses have been convicted in Guatemala.

About the Award

The Pagels Awards were conferred on the two honorees by Henry Greenberg, chair of the Human Rights Committee. Greenberg, associate director of cardiology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and associate professor of clinical medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, says the committee has been aware of the work of the two honorees for several years and selected them for the award this year based to recognize their heroism and “to raise the noise level in their support.”

First presented in 1979 to Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov, the award has gone to such imminent scientists as Chinese dissident Fang Li-Zhi, Russian Nuclear Engineer Alexander Nikitin, and Cuban Economist Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello. The 2005 Pagels awards went to Zafra Lerman, distinguished professor of Science and Public Policy and head of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication, Columbia College, Chicago; and Herman Winick, assistant director and professor emeritus of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford University.

Also read: Academy Aids Effort to Release Political Prisoner

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