Lasker Foundation Announces Suspension Of Awards

Board cites need to reassess program's direction; moratorium surprises many in scientific community Mary Lasker, the octogenarian president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, has notified jurors that the foundation's Medical Research Awards - considered by many to serve as a "predictor" of the Nobel Prize - will not be presented in 1990. The decision, which was made by Lasker along with other foundation board members and was not announced officially to the press, has surprised and disap

Written byBarbara Spector
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Board cites need to reassess program's direction; moratorium surprises many in scientific community
Mary Lasker, the octogenarian president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, has notified jurors that the foundation's Medical Research Awards - considered by many to serve as a "predictor" of the Nobel Prize - will not be presented in 1990. The decision, which was made by Lasker along with other foundation board members and was not announced officially to the press, has surprised and disappointed many members of the scientific research community, who view the Lasker awards as one of the United States' most prestigious honors.

Alice Fordyce, executive vice president of the Lasker Foundation and Mary Lasker's sister, says a moratorium was deemed necessary because "the foundation wished to take this time to review our whole program, our prior commitments, and our future objectives." Board members realized that "that would take some time," and that ...

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