Lasker Award The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation honored three medical researchers at an awards luncheon on September 26 in New York. According to a foundation official, the 1997 award winners represent the distinct approaches and scientific perspectives that must combine in the fight against disease.

  • Victor A. McKusick, a professor of genetics at Johns Hopkins University, was given the Special Achievement in Medical Science Award;

  • Mark S. Ptashne, the Ludwig Professor of Molecular Biology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, was presented with the foundation's Basic Medical Research Award; and

  • Alfred Sommer, dean of the Johns Hopkins College of Public Health and Hygiene, received the Clinical Research Award.

Each received $25,000 and a statuette of Nike of Samothrace, an international symbol of perseverance and triumph over adversity. The Lasker awards, known in some circles as the "American Nobels," are regarded as a leading predictor of...

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