Dubai-11th October2020: The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences has expressed its pride in the well-deserved award for Professor Harvey J. Alter of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology. Prof. Alter is the winner of the Grand Hamdan award in the ninth term 2015-2016, which confirms that the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award has always been on the mission of shedding light on the pioneers of science all over the world. This is evident through the award’s march, full of fruitful scientific achievements, especially with regard to supporting scientific research and honoring scientists everywhere.
This was stated by His Excellency Abdullah bin Souqat, Executive Director of the Award, who conveyed the sincere congratulations of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Health Authority on Professor Alter’s victory and wished him more success in the interest of science and advancing scientific research, especially at the present time as we are facing the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made the world rethink and put scientific research on the list of priorities.
For his part, Professor. Youssef Mohamed Abdel Razzaq, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Award, mentioned Professor Alter is the second winner of the Grand Hamdan award to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Professor Robert J. Edwards, the 2002 Grand Hamdan award winner had previously been awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010.
“The selection process for the winners of the Hamdan Grand Prize is conducted in three stages, with the participation of local and international auditors, with the utmost fairness and transparency and takes a whole year. The entire process is overseen by the sub-committees and the main scientific committee. I would like to appreciate Prof. Salah Gariballa, Chair- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University and the chair of the sub-committee in 2015-2016 and his team for selecting Prof. Harvey Alter as the winner”, Dr. Abdel Razzaq said.
Professor Harvey J. Alter won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for “the discovery of Hepatitis C virus.” For his contributions to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, Professor Alter assumed the positions of Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director of Research in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health.
