Million Dollar Prize for Scientist Lewis Kay
The prize recognizes Kay for his work advancing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The technology helps scientists capture images of the proteins within human cells to explore their structure and behaviour. As he does his ground-breaking research, Kay also takes an open-access approach to science, which allows investigators around the globe to use his methods.
“It is an honour to receive the NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal in recognition of my NMR spectroscopy research,” says Kay. “With the support of my colleagues at the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the generosity of the Government of Canada, I’ve been able to attract a team of talented individuals to my lab. With this award, we’re going to continue to do what we do best: listen to what the molecules are trying to tell us.”
In addition to being presented with the medal in Ottawa, Kay will receive funding of $1 million over five years for discovery research.
Among the proteins Kay’s lab examines is an enzyme associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative disease that causes a person’s muscles to break down over time, leading to the loss of their ability to move and ultimately, breathe. Mutations in this enzyme are present in nearly 20 per cent of people with an inherited form of the disease. By seeing how the enzyme’s molecules fold and unfold, researchers can work to understand how to prevent or fix the mutations.
The Herzberg gold medal is the highest honour given by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This annual award celebrates sustained excellence and overall influence of research work conducted in Canada in the natural sciences or engineering. It’s named for Canadian Gerhard Herzberg, who was honoured with the 1971 Nobel Prize in Chemistryfor his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals.
Previous winners from U of T include:
- Stephen Cook, Computer Science and Mathematics (2012)
- W. Richard Peltier, Physics (2011)
- Geoffrey Hinton, Computer Science (2010)
- John C. Polyani, Chemistry (2007)
- Richard Bond, Theoretical Astrophysics (2006)
- James Arthur, Mathematics (1999)
