LOUNSBERY DIRECTOR RECEIVES FRANCE'S HIGHEST SCIENTIFIC HONOR
The French Academy of Sciences has named David Sabatini, Doc en Med, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology and Chairman of Cell Biology at NYU School of Medicine, as the recipient of its highest honor for 2003, the Grande Medaille D'Or (the Grand Gold Medal), in recognition of his scientific contributions to cell biology. Previous recipients of the medal include Louis Pasteur, Pierre and Marie Curie, Gustave Eiffel, and Henri Poincaré.
The medal is given every year to a French or foreign scientist working in one of the many disciplines represented in the academy, which include the mathematical, physical, chemical, natural, biological and biomedical sciences. The award recognizes a decisive contribution to science in one of these areas and emphasizes the originality of the discoveries, their international impact, and the awardees' role in creating a true school of research.
The academy cited Dr. Sabatini as "having virtually revolutionized cellular biology" through transforming the possibilities of investigation by electron microscopy and his pioneering research on the mechanisms and pathways for the distribution of newly synthesized proteins within the cell. These seminal studies provided a foundation for a continuing stream of discoveries over the last thirty years on the complex organization of cells.
Dr. Sabatini was joined by Dean Robert M. Glickman, M.D., for the ceremony in Paris on November 25, 2003.
New York University, December 2003
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