Biography
James Van Gundia Neel (March 22, 1915 – February 1, 2000) was an American geneticist who played a key role in the development of human genetics as a field of research in the United States. He made important contributions to the emergence of genetic epidemiology [ 1 ] and pursued an understanding of the influence of environment on genes . In his early work, he studied sickle-cell disease [ 2 ] and acatalasia . [ 3 ] conducted research on the effects of radiation on survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing . [ 4 ] Neel attended the College of Wooster with a degree in biology in 1935 and went on to receive his Ph.D. at the University of Rochester . In 1956, Neel established the University of Michigan Department of Genetics, the first department of human genetics at a medical school in the United States . He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1971. [ 5 ] Education: College of Wooster University of Rochester
About the Lasker Award
The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker and his wife Mary Woodard Lasker (a medical research activist). The awards are sometimes referred to as "America's Nobels."
Quick Facts
- Award: Lasker Award - Basic Medical Research
- Added: 2026-02-07
- Source: Wikipedia
- Established: 1946
- Presented by: Lasker Foundation