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There may be a fascinating controversy in store for the Nobel Prize this year.
One of the awardees, Michael Houghton, previously was awarded but declined to accept the Gairdner Prize because it didn't include two researchers who he felt made key contributions to the discovery:
One of the awardees, Michael Houghton, previously was awarded but declined to accept the Gairdner Prize because it didn't include two researchers who he felt made key contributions to the discovery:
Those researchers, Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo, previously worked with Houghton at Chiron, and were left out when Houghton was awarded the Lasker as well.
I think it's unclear whether Houghton will be willing to accept the Nobel.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20140112052337/http://www.folio.ualberta.ca/article.cfm?v=104208&i=104377&a=3
I think it's unclear whether Houghton will be willing to accept the Nobel.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20140112052337/http://www.folio.ualberta.ca/article.cfm?v=104208&i=104377&a=3
Because of his beliefs, Houghton left the $100,000 Gairdner Prize unclaimed.
Lots of people talk about how the big prizes don't accurately reflect modern team-based science, but being willing to give up 100k for those beliefs is really quite remarkable.
Lots of people talk about how the big prizes don't accurately reflect modern team-based science, but being willing to give up 100k for those beliefs is really quite remarkable.
Kuo and Choo were the 1st authors on the two @ScienceMagazine articles listed in the Nobel Foundation's press release, underscoring that their work truly was central to the discovery being recognized.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2020/summary/
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/244/4902/359.long
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/244/4902/362.long
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2020/summary/
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/244/4902/359.long
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/244/4902/362.long
Two people have previously declined the Nobel - Sartre (Lit 1964, because he declined all official honors) and Le Duc Tho (Peace 1973, because Vietnam wasn't actually at peace).
No scientist has previously declined the Prize for failing to recognize their colleagues.
No scientist has previously declined the Prize for failing to recognize their colleagues.
