HHMI – Howard Hughes Medical Institute [to 21 November 2015]
https://www.hhmi.org/news

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Research [ November 8, 2015 ]
Deisseroth and Hobbs Awarded Breakthrough Prizes
HHMI investigators Karl Deisseroth and Helen Hobbs are among five scientists honored for transformative advances toward understanding living systems and extending human life.

… Deisseroth was honored for the development and implementation of optogenetics — the programming of neurons to express light-activated ion channels and pumps, so that their electrical activity can be controlled by light. Hobbs was recognized for the discovery of human genetic variants that alter the levels and distribution of cholesterol and other lipids, inspiring new approaches to the prevention of cardiovascular and liver disease.

… The Breakthrough Prizes recognize pioneering work in physics and genetics, cosmology, and neurology and mathematics.

Founded in 2013, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing breakthrough research, celebrating scientists and generating excitement about the pursuit of science as a career.