Tuesday, June 16.  At today’s press conference in Hong Kong, The Shaw Prize Foundation announced The Shaw Laureates for 2009.  Information was posted on the website www.shawprize.org at Hong Kong time 15:30 (GMT 07:30).

The Shaw Prize consists of three annual prizes: Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences, each prize bearing a monetary award of one million US dollars.  This will be the sixth year that the Prize has been awarded and the presentation ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

Details of the Shaw Laureates

The Shaw Prize in Astronomy is awarded to

Professor Frank H Shu
Distinguished Research Fellow of Academia Sinica, Taiwan

in recognition of his outstanding life-time contributions in theoretical astronomy.

The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine is awarded jointly to

Professor Douglas L Coleman
Senior Staff Scientist, Emeritus of The Jackson Laboratory, Maine, USA and

Professor Jeffrey M Friedman
Marilyn M Simpson Professor of The Rockefeller University and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA

for their work leading to the discovery of leptin, a hormone that regulates food intake and body weight.

The Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences is awarded jointly to

Professor Simon K Donaldson
the Royal Society Research Professor of Pure Mathematics and President of the Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Imperial College London, UK, and

Professor Clifford H Taubes
William Petschek Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University, USA

for their many brilliant contributions to geometry in 3 and 4 dimensions.

Background

Established under the auspices of Mr Run Run Shaw, the Prize honours individuals, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or application and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind.

The Shaw Prize is an international award managed and administered by The Shaw Prize Foundation based in Hong Kong.  Mr Shaw has also founded The Sir Run Run Shaw Charitable Trust and The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, both dedicated to the promotion of education, scientific and technological research, medical and welfare services, and culture and the arts.

June 16, 2009 Hong Kong