Recognizing Scientific Excellence and Originality in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published in PNAS, "Evidence for α-Synuclein Prions Causing Multiple System Atrophy in Humans with Parkinsonism" has been awarded the 2015 Cozzarelli Prize by the National Academy of Sciences. The Cozzarelli Prize is given annually to six papers published in PNAS and recognizes work that demonstrates scientific excellence and originality. Authored by Stanley B. Prusiner, Amanda L. Woerman, Kurt Giles, and colleagues in the IND, the paper reports the discovery of a unique strain of α-synuclein prions that causes multiple system atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disease in humans with similarities to Parkinson’s disease. This is the second bona fide prion to be discovered in 50 years.
The Cozzarelli award was established in 2005 and named in 2007 to honor late PNAS Editor-in-Chief Nicholas R. Cozzarelli. This year’s award winners were recognized during the PNAS Editorial Board Meeting and the NAS Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on May 1, 2016, in Washington, DC.