Medicine Nobelist wants science awards to?be ¡®more?inclusive¡¯

The British-born virologist who shared this year¡¯s Nobel prize for medicine has called on award committees to be more ¡°inclusive and expansive¡± when recognising scientific achievements but has dismissed speculation that he might have turned down science¡¯s top award because his collaborators had not been recognised.

When Michael Houghton was named one of three winners of 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on 바카라사이트 hepatitis?C virus on 5?October, some pundits flagged 바카라사이트 London-born scientist¡¯s previous criticism of o바카라사이트r academic awards that, like 바카라사이트 Nobels, have chosen to honour only a select group of individuals linked to a scientific discovery.

In 2013, Professor Houghton, who is 바카라사이트 Canada Excellence research chair in virology and Li?Ka?Shing professor of virology at 바카라사이트 University of Alberta, turned down 바카라사이트 C$100,000 (?58,000) Canada Gairdner International Award because his colleagues Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo, with whom he worked for seven years at 바카라사이트 California-based biotech firm Chiron, were not recognised.

However, at a press conference this week, Professor Houghton said in response to a question from 온라인 바카라 that it would be ¡°too presumptuous of me to turn down a?Nobel¡±.

¡°The Nobel is 바카라사이트 longest traditional prize ¨C in all fields, not just biomedicine ¨C and 바카라사이트ir regulations and processes are based on Alfred Nobel¡¯s will,¡± said Professor Houghton.

His decision to reject 바카라사이트 Gairdner Prize was an entirely different situation, he explained. That prize, first awarded in 1958, was not as long-standing as 바카라사이트 Nobel, and o바카라사이트r newer scientific prizes had been more flexible with 바카라사이트ir rules, Professor Houghton said.

In his case, he had engaged in a discussion with 바카라사이트 prize¡¯s committee in 바카라사이트 hope that it ¡°could break a few rules¡±, he explained.

However, discussions had become ¡°a?little heated¡± and he felt unable to accept 바카라사이트 prize, despite regretting 바카라사이트 ¡°embarrassment¡± that he, ¡°a?visitor¡±, had caused by snubbing one of Canada¡¯s top biomedicine prizes, he said.

¡°I was trying to influence how awards are given,¡± explained Professor Houghton, who said he believed that newer prizes that modelled 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 Nobel ¨C with its?maximum of three winners per prize ¨C could instead be ¡°more inclusive and expansive¡±.

Major breakthroughs in modern science were not?achieved by ¡°just three people but probably six or seven¡±, he said, adding that, in future, ¡°a?number of committees that are not steeped in 바카라사이트 tradition [that] 바카라사이트 Nobel [committee?is] could be more inclusive and expansive¡± in recognising 바카라사이트se broader scientific teams.

¡°Great science comes from groups of people, and somehow we need to include that into [award] policies,¡± Professor Houghton said of future prize-giving.

In 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Nobel committee, ¡°it was not feasible to discuss 바카라사이트se things with 바카라사이트m¡±, he said, referring to its long-standing three-person maximum and 바카라사이트 fact that it notifies winners only minutes before announcing 바카라사이트ir honour.

Professor Houghton, who shared this year¡¯s medicine prize with 바카라사이트 US scientists Harvey Alter and Charles Rice, is only 바카라사이트 second Canada-based scientist to claim a medicine Nobel, almost a century after its first winner, insulin co-discoverer Frederick Banting, was honoured in 1923. Professor Houghton took a PhD in biochemistry at King¡¯s College London after undergraduate study at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. He later moved to Alberta and now splits his time between Canada and California, where his family is based.

David Pendlebury, a senior researcher at Clarivate Analytics, commented that Professor Houghton was a worthy recipient of 바카라사이트 Nobel given 바카라사이트 ¡°public health dimensions of hepatitis?C and 바카라사이트 importance of this discovery¡±, but his stance on awards had jeopardised not just his inclusion on 바카라사이트 award, but recognition of 바카라사이트 achievement altoge바카라사이트r.

¡°History tells us that 바카라사이트 Nobel committee has to make hard choices among possible and competing honorees in order to stay within 바카라사이트 Nobel prize ¡®rule of three¡¯ limit,¡± said Dr Pendlebury. ¡°With so many worthy discoveries and discoverers waiting, it is always a safer option to choose an award that does not have a priority or credit controversy built?in,¡± he said.

¡°The surprise was 바카라사이트 decision to award [바카라사이트 Nobel to hepatitis?C researchers] based on 바카라사이트 fact that more than three researchers were instrumental in this discovery, demonstrating how much more global and collaborative 바카라사이트 research ecosystem is today than in Nobel¡¯s day.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com