The award for scientific achievement was given to Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Tanzi has spent his entire career focused on research related to identifying the genetic cause of Alzheimer’s disease. His doctoral thesis was on the discovery and isolation of the first Alzheimer’s gene – the amyloid precursor protein (APP) – and was published in Science. He was part of the team that discovered the other two early-onset familial Alzheimer genes known as the presenilins 1 and 2. Among his more than 500 published papers are three that are most cited in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research.
Dr. Tanzi has also found time to engage the general population in better understanding Alzheimer’s and its effects. He has authored several best-selling books including The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plant to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life with Deepak Chopra. “Dr. Tanzi has dedicated his life to unlocking the genetic mystery that surrounds the most insidious neurological disease our aging society confronts,” Dr. Constantine added. “His early work on Alzheimer’s was groundbreaking and he’s only expanded upon that to provide the neuroscience community critical new research for investigation.”
