Better Health, Brighter Future
2017 Winners and Finalists Honored at Awards Ceremony at NYAS in New York City
This year’s Innovators in Science Award Honorees in the field of neuroscience were celebrated at a ceremony on November 28th at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) Headquarters in New York City. Presenters included Takeda CEO Christophe Weber; Andy Plump, CMSO; and Emiliangelo Ratti, Head, CNS TAU.
Shigetada Nakanishi, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences Bioorganic Research Institute in Japan was the Winner of the Senior Scientist Award. Nakanishi was honored for developing innovative cloning strategies for membrane embedded transmitter receptors and subsequent identification of functional genes encoding NMDA and G-protein coupled glutamate receptors.
The recipient of the Early-Career Scientist Award was Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Gradinaru is honored for exemplary work in developing novel tools for neuroscience and using them to probe circuits underlying locomotion, reward, and sleep.
Four-Year Partnership Recognizes and Celebrates Disruptive and Transformative Research
In 2016, Takeda and NYAS launched the Award partnership to recognize and celebrate disruptive and transformative research conducted by promising Early-Career Scientists and outstanding Senior Scientists from across the globe.
The goal of the Innovators in Science Award is to celebrate scientists who have distinguished themselves for the creative thinking and impact of their research. This program is another step in Takeda’s commitment to promoting scientific excellence as well as fostering a sense of community between industry and academia.
Over the course of four years, the Innovators in Science Award will honor research from across the areas among which Takeda has focused its drug discovery with two prizes of US $200,000 each year, distinguishing innovative scientists in their respective fields, drawn from major universities and academic medical centers, or equivalent, around the world.
Inaugural Awards Focus on Excellence in Neuroscience Research
The Award recognizes research in the areas of neuroscience, gastroenterology, oncology, and regenerative medicine.
In 2017, the Award focuses on recognizing excellence in neuroscience discovery. Takeda is committed to being a global leader in neuroscience research, expanding in psychiatry, and creating an anchor in neurology through partnership and co-development. Our focus is on patients with neuropsychiatric disorders who have no adequate available treatments for schizophrenia, depression, and selected neurological diseases.
Year Two Awards to Focus on Regenerative Medicine
In the Award’s second year, Takeda and NYAS will call for submissions of outstanding research in regenerative medicine. Takeda points to regenerative medicine development as a key capability as we diversify therapeutic modalities and drive toward prioritizing translational medicine drug discovery.