HYDERABAD: The 21st edition of BioAsia — the marquee healthcare and life sciences event, being organised by the state government — has announced that the coveted Genome Valley Excellence Award for the year 2024 will be conferred upon Nobel Prize winner paediatrician and professor Gregg L Semenza.
International Advisory Board of BioAsia, consisting of personalities of national and international reputation, including Dr Ajit Shetty vice-president (corporate), global operations, Johnson & Johnson USA (retd.), and chairman emeritus, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium, Dr Makarand Jawadekar, (former director, Pfizer, US), and Dr Robert Naismith, (former chairman, JUJAMA, US), among others made the final selection of the awardee, in light of his prominent ground-breaking discovery in unveiling the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1 protein), a pivotal discovery controlling gene expression in response to fluctuations in oxygen availability.
Currently serving as the C Michael Armstrong Professor of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Professor L Semenza’s contributions have been critical in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, anaemia, blinding eye diseases, and cardiovascular disorders.
Speaking on the announcement of the 2023 Genome Valley Excellence Award, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said: “I am thrilled that the award committee has decided to confer the prestigious Genome Valley Excellence Award upon Professor Gregg L Semenza during the 2024 BioAsia. His work serves as an inspiration to aspiring scientists and underscores the transformative power of knowledge in shaping a better tomorrow for humanity”.
“BioAsia feels honoured to host such a renowned personality,” said IT and Industries principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan. Over the years, the Genome Valley Excellence Award has garnered prominence as a coveted recognition within the life sciences fraternity.