Stanford Researcher To Receive Kyoto Prize for HIV/AIDS Research
Leonard Herzenberg, a geneticist and immunologist at Stanford University, on Friday was named the recipient of the Kyoto Prize for lifetime achievement for his development of cell-sorting technology used in HIV/AIDS and other infectious disease research, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Herzenberg's "pioneering development," called the Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter, or FACS, is a laser-activated device that can quickly identify, sort, count and analyze every type of cell, both human and animal, in a sample, the Chronicle reports. Laboratories and hospitals worldwide use the device for developing new HIV/AIDS drugs, diagnosing illnesses and conducting cancer and stem cell research. FACS has "provided fundamental insights into the impact of HIV on the immune system, and it has been a valuable tool for diagnosing, monitoring and treating HIV/AIDS," Philip Pizzo, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, said in a statement released on Thursday. He added, "Herzenberg is truly one of the leading innovators in human biology of the 20th century." Kyoto Prizes, the equivalent to a Nobel Prize in Japan, are awarded annually for advanced technology, basic sciences, and arts and philosophy. Herzenberg -- who has been in the research field since 1952 -- will receive the prize in November during ceremonies in Japan (Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/9).
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