An Israeli biochemist and two others from the United States have been awarded Spain’s equivalent of a Nobel Prize for their research into the workings of pain.
The awardees of the 21010 Prince of Asturias prize for technical and scientific research are Prof. Baruch Minke, Professor of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as Professors David Julius and Linda Watkins. Julius chairs the Department of Physiology at the University of California, and Watkins is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado.
The three, recognized by the scientific community as world leaders in sensorial neurobiology, "have discovered, from complementary approaches, the causes and mechanisms via which pain is produced and perceived, as well as other sensations such as cold, heat and taste," the prize organizers said in a statement.
"The findings of these scientists open up new and hopeful avenues for the rational design of specific therapies and drugs for the selective treatment of the different types of pain, one of the great medical challenges of all times," the foundation’s prize committee stated.
The Prince of Asturias Awards for Communication and Humanities were awarded to sociologists Alain Touraine of France and British-Polish Zygmunt Bauman for their ''study of the profound transformations of modern social structures'' and their development of ''key concepts to understand fundamental questions of our time.”
Richard Serra, a U.S. sculptor and video artist, has been awarded the Asturias Prize in the arts. He is known for his large steel sculptures that adorn public areas in many cities. They include Snake, a trio of sinuous steel sheets outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and A Matter of Time, in the same museum.
The prizes include cash stipends of 50,000 euros and a sculpture by artist Joan Miro. They will be awarded in a festive ceremony in October in the presence of Spain’s Prince Philip.