Eric Lander Wins Novartis/Drew Award

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Genome Center Director Eric Lander was recently awarded the Novartis/ Drew Award in Biomedical Research. Lander accepted the award on November 27 at a scientific symposium hosted by Drew University in New Jersey.

The Novartis/Drew Award in Biomedical Research is presented annually to three distinguished scientists whose work extends biomedical knowledge into new areas and provides intellectual stimulation for students, teachers, and researchers.

Lander is recognized as one of the driving forces behind today’s revolution in genomics. In addition to being a principal leader of the Human Genome Project, Lander also led the effort to develop genetic and physical maps of the human and mouse genomes, providing a critical foundation for both genome sequencing and the study of disease genetics. He also launched a revolution in the study of genetic variation and led a collaborative effort to identify more than two million sites of common genetic variation in human beings.

Also receiving this year’s award are Sydney Brenner, founder and President of the Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, California and Craig Venter, president of Celera Genomics.