World Diabetes Day has special meaning this year with the announcement of the first-ever selection jury for the $250,000 Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes, one of the largest prizes in the world recognizes lasting achievements in the field of diabetes research.
The jury of five international leaders in the field is charged with selecting the inaugural prize laureate by recognizing the scientific achievements of an outstanding researcher, team of researchers, or research institution whose contributions to diabetes research have advanced the understanding of the disease. The 2013 jury is composed of:
• John Buse, M.D., Ph.D., CDE - University of North Carolina School of Medicine
• Edwin Gale, M.D. - University of Bristol, United Kingdom
• Barbara Howard, Ph.D. – MedStar Health Research Institute
• Paul Robertson, M.D. – University of Washington
• Charles Stanley, M.D. - University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Established in 2012, the prize is named for Mr. Harold Hamm, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Resources, Inc., who provided for an endowment to fund the prize in perpetuity.
“We’re going to see this prize change how researchers look at diabetes,” said Hamm. “It will ignite a global fire of research focused on progress toward a cure for diabetes by encouraging the best scientists in the world to apply the latest advances in technology and medicine to this global pandemic.”
The Prize is administered and awarded by the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma, a comprehensive center of excellence focusing on novel research aimed at progress toward a cure for diabetes, dramatically improved patient care for those suffering from diabetes, and large-scale prevention programs targeted at stopping the disease before it starts.
“The establishment of this prize is another example of the impact of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center as a world leader addressing the diabetes health crisis,” said OU President David L. Boren. “Thanks to the leadership and continued support of Harold Hamm, the diabetes center has quickly risen to national and international prominence as one of the top comprehensive centers of excellence.”
The Selection Jury will meet April 1-3 at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in Oklahoma City, OK for deliberations to select the prize laureate. The prize laureate will be publically announced in June 2013.
