The Shaw Prize Award Presentation Ceremony 2024: 21 Years of Celebrating Excellence in Scientific Achievements

HONG KONG, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shaw Prize presented its awards to five Shaw Laureates today at the 2024 Award Presentation Ceremony, held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Approximately 600 guests from various sectors participated in the event.

In his opening remarks, Professor Kenneth Young, Chair of The Shaw Prize Council, reflected on the legacy of the late Mr Run Run Shaw, founder of the Shaw Prize, and Mrs Mona Shaw. As the Shaw Prize enters its third decade, said Professor Young, new activities will be launched to engage local young science enthusiasts, hoping to nurture a new generation of scientists.

The 2024 Shaw Laureates, Professor Shrinivas Kulkarni, Dr Swee Lay Thein, Professor Stuart Orkin, and Professor Peter Sarnak, were then presented with their awards by Professor Reinhard Genzel, Chair of the Board of Adjudicators.

During his acceptance speech, Shaw Laureate in Astronomy, Professor Kulkarni thanked the Caltech Optical Observatories and the key members of the Zwicky Transient Facility, the project that was recognised by the Shaw Prize. He also expressed gratitude to his students, postdoctoral fellows and senior colleagues who helped exploit the data, resulting in an explosion of discoveries and papers.

Dr Thein and Professor Orkin, recognised for their discovery of the genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying sickle cell anaemia and β thalassaemia, emphasised that although significant strides have been made in gene-editing therapies for these blood disorders, they remained largely out of reach for many of the affected individuals. They expressed hope for treatments that would be universally accessible to all patients.

Professor Sarnak, who once served on the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences Selection Committee, commended the Prize for its support for academic and scientific research. The work cited by the Shaw Prize, he recalled, was born at a conference in Hangzhou in 2005. Professor Sarnak was recognised for his development of the arithmetic theory of thin groups and the affine sieve.

During the ceremony, Professor Scott D Emr, Shaw Laureate in Life Science and Medicine 2021, was also presented with his gold medal. He received the certificate in his home country back in 2021. Each Shaw Prize also carries a monetary award of US$1.2 million.