2024 KAVLI PRIZE AWARDED IN ASTROPHYSICS, NANOSCIENCE, AND NEUROSCIENCE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has announced the 2024 Kavli Prize Laureates in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience.

EXPLANATION:

• Eight distinguished scientists were honored for their outstanding research, which has significantly advanced our understanding of various scientific domains.
• Each field’s laureates will share a $1 million prize, celebrating their contributions to fundamental science that drives the world forward.

Kavli Prize

• It was first awarded in 2008.
• The Kavli Prize is a prestigious recognition in the scientific community.
• It is a collaborative effort among The Kavli Foundation, The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.
• The prize was established by Fred Kavli, a Norwegian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, who founded The Kavli Foundation in 2000.
• Kavli also established the Kavlico Corporation in 1958, which became a leading supplier of sensors for various applications.
• The Kavli Prize aims to honor scientists whose research has broadened our understanding of the big, the small, and the complex.
• It is funded by The Kavli Foundation, emphasizing the importance of fundamental science in advancing knowledge and technology.

Kavli Prize in Astrophysics

• Laureates: Sara Seager and David Charbonneau
  • The 2024 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics was awarded to Sara Seager and David Charbonneau for their pioneering discoveries in the field of exoplanets and the characterization of their atmospheres.
  • Their work has laid the groundwork for detecting atomic species in planetary atmospheres and measuring thermal infrared emissions, crucial for identifying molecular fingerprints in exoplanetary atmospheres.
• Sara Seager
  • Position: Professor of Physics, Planetary Science, and Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.
  • Education: Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University.
  • Contributions: Specialized in the study of exoplanets, Seager has developed methods for detecting and analyzing the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars other than the sun.
• David Charbonneau
  • Position: Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University.
  • Education: Ph.D. from Harvard University, post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology.
  • Contributions: Charbonneau has been instrumental in observing exoplanetary movements and their atmospheres, significantly advancing our understanding of these distant worlds.

Kavli Prize in Nanoscience

• Laureates: Robert S. Langer, Armand Paul Alivisatos, and Chad A. Mirkin
  • Three American scientists, Robert S. Langer, Armand Paul Alivisatos, and Chad A. Mirkin, were awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for their pioneering work in combining nanostructured synthetic materials with biologically active molecules.
  • Their contributions have been fundamental in the field of nanomedicine, particularly in therapeutics, vaccines, bioimaging, and diagnostics.
• Robert S. Langer
  • Position: Faculty member at MIT since 1978.
  • Education: Sc.D in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
  • Contributions: Langer has authored over 1,250 articles, holds numerous patents, and has significantly impacted the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, and medical device industries.
• Armand Paul Alivisatos
  • Position: President of the University of Chicago.
  • Education: Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Contributions: Alivisatos is renowned for his research on the physical chemistry of nanocrystals, holding the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professorship at the University of Chicago.
• Chad A. Mirkin
  • Position: Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University.
  • Education: Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.
  • Contributions: Mirkin has authored over 870 manuscripts, holds more than 430 patents, and has founded multiple companies, making significant advancements in nanotechnology and its biomedical applications.

Kavli Prize in Neuroscience

• Laureates: Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald, and Doris Tsao
  • The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience was awarded to Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald, and Doris Tsao for their groundbreaking discovery of a specialized area in the brain responsible for facial recognition.
  • Their combined research has elucidated the neural architecture involved in face processing.
• Nancy Kanwisher
  • Position: Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at MIT.
  • Education: Ph.D. from MIT.
  • Contributions: Kanwisher pinpointed the brain’s center for face processing, a significant achievement in functional brain imaging, and has extensively studied areas of the brain responding to various stimuli.
• Winrich Freiwald
  • Position: Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Professor of Neurosciences and Behavior at The Rockefeller University.
  • Education: Ph.D. from the University of Tübingen.
  • Contributions: Freiwald has combined functional imaging and individual brain cell recording to reveal a six-region system in macaque monkeys that compiles facial information, providing insight into the neural processes of face recognition.
• Doris Tsao
  • Position: Professor in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Education: Ph.D. from Harvard University.
  • Contributions: Tsao’s research has furthered the understanding of the brain’s facial recognition system, contributing significantly to the field of neuroscience through her work at various prestigious institutions.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/explained-kavli-prize-9391030/