The People Behind the Science: Dr. Lew Cantley Wins the 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research

In the midst of a pandemic, more than at any other time, public trust and engagement in science is paramount. Without it, society lacks the coordinated effort, political will and public cooperation that can do more than advance new preventions and treatments; it can save lives.

But trust is first and foremost about relationships between people. So in 2006, we created the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research to bridge science and the public by elevating and championing the passionate people who are behind scientific discovery.

The Award was named for Dr. Paul Janssen, who was one of the most innovative pharmaceutical researchers of all time. He was also a person who connected with others, inspiring them with great curiosity and great will to solve problems many believed to be unsolvable. During his lifetime, he invented more than 80 medicines, four of which are still on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines and have helped countless people all around the world.

This year, I am delighted to share that Lew Cantley, Ph.D., of Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University has been named the winner of the 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. Like Dr. Paul, he dedicated his life to discovery, led others in breakthrough research, and made connections between biologic systems that are helping to solve the greatest challenges of our time. He has advanced understanding of fundamental aspects of metabolism that have profound implications for the diagnosis and treatment of both cancer and diabetes. He has shown us that sugar not only provides the fuel cancer needs to grow, but that its role in cancer development may also provide new approaches to treating it. He joins 18 scientists who have received the Award, including three who went on to win the Nobel Prize.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. ET here on LinkedIn, during a special Champions of Science: Dr. Paul Janssen Award 2020 webcast, we will be celebrating Dr. Cantley’s accomplishments, learning more about who he is as a person and how he made his discoveries, and talking about how science impacts our daily lives. I hope that all champions of science everywhere will join us in this virtual celebration, which is open to the public.

And for those who are interested in the scientific details of Dr. Cantley’s work, we’ll also honor him during a virtual scientific symposium presented in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences on September 16, 2020, at 9 a.m. ET.

I invite you to post comments here in celebration of the important role of science in our lives, or congratulations for Dr. Cantley. We will share them with Dr. Cantley and on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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