Chicago donor creates new biomedical science prize

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago philanthropist Ann Lurie has established a new prize for researchers who are early in their careers and whose findings have advanced basic biomedical science.

The first Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences goes to Ruslan Medzhitov (ROOS'-lahn MEHD'-zih-toff) of Yale University School of Medicine. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health announced the winner Tuesday.

The prize honors the 46-year-old scientist's discoveries related to the innate immune system, the human body's first line of defense against infection.

The award comes with an honorarium of $100,000 and will be presented to Medzhitov on May 14 in Chicago.

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Online: http://www.fnih.org