Professor Mary-Claire King

Rambam Health Care Campus is proud and honored to bestow the 2015 Rambam Award upon Professor Mary-Claire King in recognition of her pioneering work in the field of human genetics including her research to identify the genes responsible for predisposition to breast cancer among women of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, continued extension of this work to many different genes and populations, use of forensic genetics for global humanitarian causes, and her broad-ranging contribution to the advancement of medical research in Israel.

Professor King received her PhD in Genetics in 1973 from the University of California, Berke ley. Fo l lowing the discovery of the breast and ovarian cancer predisposition genes, Professor King went on to devise additional new strategies for patient screening. Her research is especially important for Ashkenazi Jewish populations in which a particularly high prevalence of BRCA gene mutations has been found.

Professor King continues to explore the genetic foundations and environmental factors associated with human diseases, including cancer, hearing impairment, and schizophrenia. As a member of the Human Genome Diversity Project, Professor King is helping shed light on the processes of human evolution and their implications for health. Her ongoing collaborations with colleagues in Israel will benefit the people of Israel and the greater world community. Professor King has been honored with numerous international awards and is a member of the Academy of Sciences of the United States, and 2014 recipient of the prestigious Lasker Award.

In acknowledgement of all the aforesaid, the Honorary Awards Committee has found Professor Mary-Claire King deserving of the 2015 Rambam Award.