UMMS researcher receives Janssen Award for microRNA discovery

"We are honored to join the distinguished list of past awardees of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research," said Ambros, the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and professor in the Program in Molecular Medicine at UMass Medical School in Worcester, MA. "It is a testament to the wisdom of private and government patrons that fundamental research such as ours was supported over the years, and that it is paying off in new understanding of disease processes-and possibly in cures for patients."

"Our research grew out of long-standing traditions in the field aiming to unearth molecular explanations for how biological systems work, with the hope that if an understanding was achieved, practical applications would likely emerge," said Ruvkun. "We have seen the small RNA field grow from our first papers to thousands of papers, many focused on particular diseases and treatments of diseases. The research has come full circle - from fundamental biology to medicine - just as we had hoped."

"The groundbreaking research of Dr. Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun has revolutionized the understanding of gene regulation, with significant implications for future developments in the medical field," said Paul Stoffels, MD, worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson. "Perhaps equally important is the spirit of collaboration exemplified by these researchers - exactly what Dr. Paul advocated in his own labs. Their success demonstrates that we can achieve so much more when we work together, rather than in silos."

Source: University of Massachusetts Medical School