PERSBERICHT

10 May 2016

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has awarded the 2016 Heineken Prizes to biochemist Jennifer Doudna (University of California), biologist Stephen (Steve) Jackson (University of Cambridge), ecologist Georgina Mace (University College London), historian Judith Herrin (King's College London) and psychologist Elizabeth Spelke (Harvard University).

The Heineken Prizes, amounting to USD 200,000 each, will be presented on 29 September 2016 in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.

Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics: Jennifer Doudna  Jennifer Doudna, Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley (US), will receive the 2016 Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics for her pioneering research into the structure and functioning of RNA molecules and RNA protein complexes.

Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine: Stephen Jackson  Stephen (Steve) Jackson, Professor of Biology at the University of Cambridge (UK), will receive the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine for his fundamental research into DNA repair in human cells and for the successful application of knowledge of that process in the development of new cancer drugs.

Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences: Georgina Mace  Georgina Mace, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystems at University College London (UK), will receive the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences for developing scientific criteria for the world's most comprehensive list of threatened species and for establishing priorities for nature conservation.

Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History: Judith Herrin  Judith Herrin, Emeritus Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies at King's College London (UK), will receive the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History for her groundbreaking research into Medieval cultures in Mediterranean civilisations and for establishing the crucial significance of the Byzantine Empire in history.

C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize for Cognitive Sciences: Elizabeth Spelke  Elizabeth Spelke, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, Cambridge (US), will receive the 2016 C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize for Cognitive Sciences for   her pioneering research into the cognitive   development of infants.

Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Art: Yvonne Dröge Wendel  The Academy announced last month that the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Art will be awarded to visual artist Yvonne Dröge Wendel.

Award ceremony

The 2016 Heineken Prizes will be presented on 29 September 2016 during a special meeting of the Academy in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. At the same ceremony, five Heineken Young Scientists Awards will be presented to talented young researchers who, in the opinion of the jury, serve as an example to other researchers in their field.

About the Heineken Prizes

The Heineken Prizes are the largest international research prizes in the Netherlands and are awarded every other year. The winners are selected by juries consisting of leading international researchers put together by the Academy.

The Heineken Prizes amount to USD 200,000 each. The Heineken Prize for Art amounts to EUR 100,000, half of which must be spent on a publication or exhibition. There are also five Heineken Young Scientists Awards for young researchers. These prizes amount to EUR 10,000 each. These winners will be announced shortly.

The Heineken Prizes are named after Dr Henry P. Heineken (1886-1971); Dr Alfred H. Heineken (1923-2002) and Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken (1954), chair of the Dr H.P. Heineken Foundation and the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation, which finance the Heineken Prizes.

More information about the Heineken Prizes is available at knaw.nl/heinekenprizes.

Note for media representatives only:

Media questions can be sent to Kim van den Wijngaard (KNAW), +31 20 551 0744, +31 6 1272 0479, kim.van.den.wijngaard@knaw.nl.

High resolution photos of the laureates are available at knaw.nl/press-photos-heineken-prizes.