Latest news with #BreakthroughPrizes
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
IISER Pune researchers among laureates of 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, faculty members Professor Seema Sharma and Professor Sourabh Dube, along with 23 past and present research team members, have been selected as laureates of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Sharma and Dube are members of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaboration. The CMS experiment is one of the largest international scientific collaborations in history, involving about 5,500 particle physicists, engineers, technicians, students and support staff from 241 institutes in 54 countries. Along with CMS, this year's Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to three other large global collaborations, namely, ALICE, ATLAS, and LHCb, at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), located in Geneva, Switzerland. 'Each of these collaborations consists of thousands of researchers worldwide working towards understanding the fundamental nature of particles and in identifying and characterising new particles,' an official statement issued by IISER Pune said on Tuesday. The Breakthrough Prizes are prestigious awards, often referred to as the 'Oscars of Science', given annually in the fields of Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics to recognise groundbreaking achievements in science. As members of the CMS from IISER Pune, the research groups of professors Sharma and Dube and others involved in the work are laureates. Also included are IISER Pune alumni, some of whom did their MS thesis in the CMS group and a few others who have gone on to take up research roles in other large collaborations elsewhere. According to IISER, Pune's statement, Dube's research focuses on the search for beyond standard model phenomena, which aim to address the open problems in particle physics. Sharma's group focused on searching for new elementary particles which can shed light on yet unanswered questions like dark matter, hierarchy problem, and matter-antimatter asymmetry, to name a few, the statement added. The CMS experiment is a multi-purpose detector which studies proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The LHC is the highest energy particle accelerator in the world and recreates conditions that presumably existed in the first few millionths of seconds after the Big Bang. The primary goal of their research is to explain the nature of matter and the physical laws that govern the fundamental interactions.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stars lend glamour to ‘Oscars of science' Breakthrough Prizes
Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Keys and Lizzo were among the stars giving science some pizzazz at this year's Breakthrough Prizes in Los Angeles on Saturday. Nicknamed the 'Oscars of Science', the six awards of $3 million (£2.3 million) each are given for advances in life sciences, physics and mathematics. Some of the biggest names in tech, film and music walked the red carpet in Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, lending their glamour to the event. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos all flashed a smile, despite a torrid week in which their companies lost billions in the market turmoil caused by Donald Trump's tariff announcements. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 94, was pictured with his wife Elena Zhukova, 67, whom he married last summer. His third wife, Wendi Murdoch, 56, was also in attendance. Other attendees included Zoe Saldana, the Oscar-winning actress, Paris Hilton, the socialite, Gal Gadot, the star of Disney's ill-fated Snow White remake, and Lily Collins, the Emily in Paris actress. Musicians Lizzo, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera also came. The scientists who developed Ozempic, the pioneering weight-loss drug, were awarded a Breakthrough Prize. Another went to David Liu, an American molecular biologist, for developing two precise gene editing tools to help people with severe genetic diseases. A further life science prize was given for groundbreaking research on multiple sclerosis. More than 13,500 researchers from Cern, Europe's particle physics laboratory, took home a joint award for testing the modern theory of particle physics. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded in 2012 and are sponsored by Yuri Milner, a Russian–Israeli billionaire, and tech entrepreneurs including Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta. This year's prizes were given at a fraught moment for US science, as Donald Trump's government stripped funding for institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 'The NIH is a treasure, not just for this country but for the world,' said Mr Liu, after winning his award. 'Trying to dismantle the heart of what supports science in this country is like burning your seed corn.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Stars lend glamour to ‘Oscars of science' Breakthrough Prizes
Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Keys and Lizzo were among the stars giving science some pizzazz at this year's Breakthrough Prizes in Los Angeles on Saturday. Nicknamed the 'Oscars of Science', the six awards of $3 million (£2.3 million) each are given for advances in life sciences, physics and mathematics. Some of the biggest names in tech, film and music walked the red carpet in Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, lending their glamour to the event. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos all flashed a smile, despite a torrid week in which their companies lost billions in the market turmoil caused by Donald Trump's tariff announcements. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 94, was pictured with his wife Elena Zhukova, 67, whom he married last summer. His third wife, Wendi Murdoch, 56, was also in attendance. Other attendees included Zoe Saldana, the Oscar-winning actress, Paris Hilton, the socialite, Gal Gadot, the star of Disney's ill-fated Snow White remake, and Lily Collins, the Emily in Paris actress. Musicians Lizzo, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera also came. The scientists who developed Ozempic, the pioneering weight-loss drug, were awarded a Breakthrough Prize. Another went to David Liu, an American molecular biologist, for developing two precise gene editing tools to help people with severe genetic diseases. A further life science prize was given for groundbreaking research on multiple sclerosis. More than 13,500 researchers from Cern, Europe's particle physics laboratory, took home a joint award for testing the modern theory of particle physics. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded in 2012 and are sponsored by Yuri Milner, a Russian–Israeli billionaire, and tech entrepreneurs including Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta. This year's prizes were given at a fraught moment for US science, as Donald Trump's government stripped funding for institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 'The NIH is a treasure, not just for this country but for the world,' said Mr Liu, after winning his award. 'Trying to dismantle the heart of what supports science in this country is like burning your seed corn.'
Fox News
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg among industry leaders at 11th Breakthrough Prize gala
Hollywood, business and tech heavyweights turned out for the 11th Breakthrough Prize gala on Saturday in Los Angeles, bringing A-list entertainment stars and industry leaders together with luminaries from the world of science and math. Often dubbed the "Oscars of Science," the Breakthrough Prize celebrates research achievements and the world's top scientists. Six Breakthrough Prizes worth $3 million were presented to some of the world's brightest minds in the fields of Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics. FOX Corporation Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch, who was joined by his wife Elena Zhukova, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and META CEO Mark Zuckerberg were among the leaders in attendance. Katy Perry and Sia performed at the star-studded event that was also attended by Christina Aguilera, Drew Barrymore, MrBeast, Jessica Chastain, Glenn Close, Lily Collins, Danny DeVito, Vin Diesel, Jodie Foster, Salma Hayek, Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson, Lizzo, Rob Lowe, Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ke Huy Quan, Edgar Ramírez, Seth Rogen, Lionel Richie, Gal Gadot, Zoe Saldaña, Lauren Sanchez, Bill Gates, Jeremy Strong, Sydney Sweeney and many more. In addition, the foundation announced that eight early-career physicists and mathematicians are sharing six $100,000 New Horizons Prizes. Daniel J. Drucker, Joel Habener, Jens Juul Holst, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen and Svetlana Mojsov shared a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for ushering in a new era of GLP-1 medicines for cardiometabolic disorders, while Stephen L. Hauser and Alberto Ascherio share a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for transforming the understanding and treatment of multiple sclerosis. David R. Liu was also awarded a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for developing two widely used gene-editing technologies. The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to thousands of researchers from more than 70 countries representing four experimental collaborations at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – ATLAS, CMS, ALICE and LHCb. Dennis Gaitsgory won the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for his role in the proof of the geometric Langlands conjecture and Gerard 't Hooft won a Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
$3 million prize goes to developers of Ozempic-style drugs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Five scientists who helped develop Ozempic-style drugs have been awarded a $3 million prize nicknamed the "Oscars of Science." The Breakthrough Prizes are annual awards that aim to recognize "the world's top scientists working in the fundamental sciences," according to the official website for the prizes. Six awards are given, in total, covering accomplishments in fundamental physics, mathematics and the life sciences. This year, Dr. Jens Holst, Dr. Daniel Drucker, Dr. Joel Habener, Lotte Knudsen and Svetiana Mojsov have been announced as joint winners of one of three Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences for 2025. "When something [like this award] drops in completely unexpected, that's nice, that's wonderful," Holst, a professor of medical physiology at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science. Related: Scientists behind tech in mRNA vaccines snag 2nd prestigious prize — is a Nobel next? Holst and his colleagues received one of the life-science awards this year "for the discovery and characterization of glucagon-like peptide 1 and revealing its physiology and potential in treating diabetes and obesity," read an official statement. Glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, is a hormone that the gut secretes after eating. The hormone stimulates the release of insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels, and it also slows down digestion, making people feel full. It's a key player in how the brain regulates appetite. Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are examples of "GLP-1 receptor agonists" — they mimic the action of the GLP-1 hormone in the body to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. These drugs have garnered significant popularity over the past decade, and they are now being investigated as potential treatments for many other health conditions, ranging from substance-use disorders to Alzheimer's disease. In 2024, Wegovy also got regulatory approval in the United States to treat heart disease, although questions remain regarding how it actually treats the condition. However, despite their success, GLP-1 receptor agonists have also faced considerable scrutiny. For instance, there have been reports of some patients experiencing nasty side effects, such as persistent vomiting and stomach paralysis. Additionally, a large study published in 2025 revealed that these drugs may reduce the risk of developing 42 health conditions but may increase the chances of experiencing 19 others, including abdominal pain, low blood pressure and arthritis. This study was correlational, so it's unknown if GLP-1 agonists are actually driving these conditions, but it still raises questions about the drugs' long-term effects. Even with these concerns, though, many believe these drugs have revolutionized the treatment of cardiometabolic disorders. In the U.S., 1 in 8 adults have reported using a GLP-1 drug at some point in their lives. Holst and colleagues originally discovered the GLP-1 hormone back in the 1980s. Piece by piece, they gathered data showing that the hormone stimulated insulin secretion, and that it inhibited food intake and the emptying of the stomach after a meal, Holst said. Over the years, the researchers further examined these physiological effects within the context of diabetes and obesity, which eventually led to the development of the widely used drugs that are household names today. There is likely a huge interest around these drugs because they offer an alternative, and very effective, route to weight loss for people with obesity who might not have found success with other interventions, Holst said. However, as a doctor, he is more interested in their ability to treat the knock-on health concerns tied to obesity, such as certain cancers and atherosclerosis, which can lead to coronary artery disease, he added. "What we know is that obesity is associated with a hell of [a lot of] complications," he said. "The important thing is that with these compounds, you can prevent that." Holst and colleagues are now investigating how the body regulates its own GLP-1 hormone levels and whether this process can be manipulated. For instance, they want to see whether patients with obesity or diabetes could be given a drug that increases the secretion of their own GLP-1 hormone, rather than being given a drug that just mimics the action of GLP-1, Holst said. RELATED STORIES —4 biologists awarded Germany's most prestigious scientific award, worth 2.5 million euros —2 scientists win $3 million 'Breakthrough Prize' for mRNA tech behind COVID-19 vaccines —2 scientists snag Nobel in medicine for discovering 'microRNAs' In addition to the prize awarded to GLP-1's developers, the other two life sciences awards this year went to Dr. Stephen Hauser and Dr. Alberto Ascherio, for their work on multiple sclerosis, and David Liu for developing two common gene editing technologies known as "base editing" and "prime editing." This year's winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on April 5, 2025.
