Pioneering Gene Editing Research Celebrated This Week During 2014 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research Events

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Johnson & Johnson will host events to celebrate the work of the winners of the 2014 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. Drs. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna will be honored for their breakthrough discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 method of genetic editing that has led to a substantial leap in scientists' ability to manipulate genetic processes and has the potential to make a significant impact on drug development and treatment of human genetic disorders. 

"The research of Drs. Doudna and Charpentier has revolutionized the field of DNA editing and microbiology, and holds great promise for the development of new medicines and the potential to make a significant impact on human health, which is at the very heart of Dr. Paul's legacy, as well as our mission at Johnson & Johnson," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson.

The events will engage the scientific community and the general public in dialogue about the significance of this research and its future applications, as well as the role of women in science, the importance of STEM education, and the role of collaboration in advancing medical innovation.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

• TweetChat – 3:00-4:00 p.m. EST
  • Johnson & Johnson will host a TweetChat featuring Drs. Charpentier and Doudna, moderated by former Scientific American Editor-in-Chief, John Rennie. Participants are encouraged to follow @JNJInnovation on Twitter and submit questions using the official hashtag #DPJAward. Additional information about the TweetChat can be found at http://www.pauljanssenaward.com/tweet.html.
• The 2014 Dr. Paul Janssen Award will be presented to Drs. Charpentier and Doudna during an evening ceremony at The New York Public Library.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

• "From Bacterial Immunity to Genome Editing: The 2014 Dr. Paul Janssen Award Symposium" 
  8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST, New York Academy of Sciences, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th floor
  • Drs. Charpentier and Doudna will reflect on their discovery and its potential application in gene editing. Following their award lectures, leading scientists in microbiology, molecular genetics, genomics, and other relevant research areas will discuss the implications of this novel technology for basic science, medical research, drug development, and human health. More information and registration for the symposium can be found here.

About the Award Winners
Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier is Alexander von Humboldt Professor at Hannover Medical School (MHH), Head of the Department "Regulation in Infection Biology" at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany, and Guest Professor at The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) at Umea University.

Dr. Jennifer Doudna is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

About The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
Known to his colleagues as "Dr. Paul," Janssen was one of the 20th century's most gifted and passionate researchers. He helped save millions of lives through his contribution to the discovery and development of more than 80 medicines, four of which remain on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines. The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research was established by Johnson & Johnson to honor the memory of Dr. Paul. Past winners include Craig C. Mello, Marc Feldmann and Sir Ravinder Maini, Axel Ullrich, Erik De Clercq and Anthony S. Fauci, Napoleone Ferrara, and Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, and David Julius. Learn more at www.pauljanssenaward.com.

About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world, one person at a time, inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science – bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Our approximately 129,000 employees at more than 250 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. For more information, visit www.jnj.com.

Contact:
Seema Kumar
Johnson & Johnson
908-405-1144 or [email protected]

Diane Pressman
Janssen Global Services, LLC
908-295-0857 or [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140909/144371

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140909/144370

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson