Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science

Nominations for the 2024 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science are closed.

 

About the Vanderbilt Prize:

Vanderbilt Prize winners are scientists who have made significant contributions to the science of medicine. We created the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science to honor and recognize scientists of national reputation who has a stellar record of research accomplishments and is known for their mentorship. The Vanderbilt Prize winner also nurtures the career of a promising junior scientist for a year during their PhD studies at Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar. The prize recipient gives a lecture at Vanderbilt, will serve as a mentor to the Vanderbilt Prize Scholar, and receives an honorarium.

Eligibility:

Nominees for the Vanderbilt Prize must be scientists in any area of basic or clinical research or clinical practice. The nominee must have a national reputation, a stellar record of research accomplishments, and must be an active mentor. We encourage nominators to consider underrepresented populations when selecting a nominee.

Nomination Process:

There is no limit to the number of qualified scientists an institution may nominate. A complete nomination packet must include the following, as a single pdf, in the order listed below:

  • Completed nomination form 
  • A letter of nomination from the nominee’s department chair or dean
  • One letter of recommendation from a distinguished peer in basic or clinical research or in clinical practice
  • Nominee’s complete CV

 

For questions, email vumcresearchenterprise@vumc.org.


Vanderbilt Prize Recipients

2024

 

Sarah Tishkoff, PhD

David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology, University of Pennsylvania

Director, Penn Center for Global Genomics & Health Equity in the Perelman School of Medicine


2023

 

ashcroft

Frances Ashcroft, FRS, FMedSci, DBE

Professor of Physiology, University of Oxford

Fellow, Trinity College Oxford

Professor Ashcroft presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on March 21, 2024.


2022

 

lehmann

Ruth Lehmann, Ph.D.

Director, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge Massachusetts 

Member, National Academy of Science

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Lehmann presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on May 11, 2023.


2021

 

regev

Aviv Regev, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President, Genentech Research and Early Development (gRED)

Dr. Regev presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on April 14, 2022.


2020

jd option 1

Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D.

Winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Executive Director, Innovative Genomics Institute

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Doudna presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on July 22, 2021.


2019

csrevised3

Christine Seidman, M.D.

Thomas W. Smith Professor in Medicine and Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Senior Associate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Seidman presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on September 12, 2019.


2018

Amon_0.jpg

Angelika Amon, Ph.D. 

Kathleen and Curtis Marble Professor in Cancer Research and Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Member, MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research 

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Amon presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on January 31, 2019. 


2017

Maquat

Lynne E. Maquat, Ph.D.

J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry


Director, University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology


Chair, University of Rochester Graduate Women in Science

Dr. Maquat presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on November 29, 2018.


2016

Fuchs

Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D.

Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor of the Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University
Investigator

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Fuchs presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on March 30, 2017.


2015

Zoghbi

Huda Y. Zoghbi, M.D.

Director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital


Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Investigator

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Zoghbi presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on April 21, 2016.


2014

Lindquist

Susan Lindquist, Ph.D.

Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Member, Whitehead Institute


Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Dr. Lindquist presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on November 19, 2015.


2013

Glimcher

Laurie Glimcher, M.D.

Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean and Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College


Provost for Medical Affairs, Cornell University

Dr. Glimcher presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on May 1, 2014. 


2012

Steitz

Joan A. Steitz, Ph.D.

Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator 

Dr. Steitz presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on May 2, 2013.


2011

deLange

Titia de Lange, Ph.D.

Leon Hess Professor and Head of the Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, American Cancer Society Research

Director, Anderson Center for Cancer Research, Rockefeller University, New York

Dr. de Lange presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on February 23, 2012. 


2010

Andrews

Nancy Andrews, M.D., Ph.D.

Dean, Duke University School of Medicine

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Duke University School of Medicine

Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine

Dr. Andrews presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on March 31, 2011. 


2009

Taylor

Susan Taylor, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego

Dr. Taylor presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on February 18, 2010. 


2008

Graybiel

Ann Graybiel, Ph.D.

Walter A Rosenblith Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Graybiel presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on October 30, 2008. 


2007

Blackburn

Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.

Winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine


Morris Herzstein Endowed Professor in Biology & Physiology, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Blackburn presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on January 10, 2008.


2006

Andreasen

Nancy Andreasen M.D., Ph.D.

Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa

Dr. Andreasen presented a Discovery Lecture and accepted the Vanderbilt Prize on September 28, 2006.