The Genome Valley Excellence Award, an integral part of the annual healthcare and life sciences event BioAsia, will be conferred this year on Nobel Prize winning paediatrician and professor of genetic medicine Gregg L. Semenza.
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The international advisory board announced the selection in light of his 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, BioAsia organisers said on Wednesday. The next in the series of the flagship event of Telangana government devoted to life sciences sector, BioAsia 2024, is scheduled to be held at HICC in Hyderabad from February 26 – 28.
During 1990s, Prof. Semenza had identified a molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to varying levels of oxygen. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2019 for discovery on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability, the organisers said in a release. He is currently the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA. His pioneering work is critical in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, anaemia, blinding eye diseases, and cardiovascular disorders.
“His ground-breaking discovery in unravelling scientific mysteries stands as a testament to his unwavering dedication to scientific excellence and innovation. I commend professor Semenza for his outstanding contributions to the field of molecular biology and extend my best wishes,” Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu said.