果冻影院

The medal, specially created by the Royal Mint, is MRC鈥檚 most prestigious personal prize. It is presented each year to an outstanding researcher who has made a major contribution to MRC鈥檚 mission to improve human health through world-class medical research.

This year, the award is shared between Professor Tabrizi and biotechnologist Professor Lisa Hall (University of Cambridge).

Professor Tabrizi has been recognised by MRC for her outstanding achievements in medical research, including her pioneering work to advance the understanding and translation of therapies for neurodegeneration - in particular, Huntington鈥檚 disease.听

The MRC states that Professor Tabrizi has advanced our understanding of Huntington鈥檚 disease in patients at every level, with her bench-to-bedside research, which spans from understanding the cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, identifying new drug targets in the lab to first-in-human clinical trials testing novel disease-modifying therapies.

Professor Tabrizi also led the first human safety trial of a drug developed to reduce the levels of toxic mutant huntingtin protein in the nervous system. The drug is a single strand of chemically modified DNA designed to 鈥渟ilence鈥� the genetic message that produces the toxic protein.听

The revolutionary 鈥済ene-silencing鈥� trial made global headlines in 2017 when its 鈥渢op-line鈥� results found the drug to be safe and well-tolerated, and, most significantly, successfully lowered levels of the toxic mutant huntingtin protein in participants 鈥� opening new avenues for the development of treatments for Huntington鈥檚 disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Professor Tabrizi said: 鈥�I am incredibly honoured to receive the MRC Millennium Medal for 2022 as a joint winner; it is a recognition of all the patients and families with Huntington's disease whom I have worked with over the last 25 years.

鈥淚 am also grateful to all my PhD students, postdocs, clinical fellows, past and present, and colleagues in the 果冻影院 HD centre, without their partnership I wouldn't be where I am today, and to my colleagues at the 果冻影院 Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the UK Dementia Research Institute for their immense support over the years - my success is also dependent on all of them.鈥�

Alongside her research, Professor Tabrizi has also been acknowledged for her 鈥渄edication to promoting a positive, open and fair research culture and actively championing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)鈥�.

This includes being chosen as a 果冻影院 academic role model in 2013 and being an active champion and mentor of women in science.

Meanwhile, Professor Hall (University of Cambridge) has been recognised for her multidisciplinary work and key translational impacts in biotechnology and biosensor design, alongside 鈥渂eing a champion for women in science鈥�.

Professor John Iredale, MRC Executive Chair, said: 鈥淭hese MRC prizes pay tribute to some of the world-class impacts carried out by our research community in the UK and abroad.

鈥淚t is especially pleasing to see the impact of two outstanding scientists receiving our MRC Millennium Medal. That impact is not only in the world-class science they have undertaken but also in their championing of open and inclusive research environments that can only make UK science and research more successful.鈥�

Professor Tabrizi and Professor Hall will receive their prize at an award ceremony in spring 2023, alongside the winners of the inaugural MRC Impact Prize.

Links

• 果冻影院 Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• 果冻影院 Brain Sciences

Image

• Professor Sarah Tabrizi

Media contact听

Poppy Danby听

E: p.danby [at] ucl.ac.uk