AWARDS

SEPT. 8, 2010
An excellent way to learn how to become a great scientist is to study how exceptional artists like Matisse and Picasso create their magic.

SEPT. 10, 2009
Papal portraiture has a long tradition, and the story of how it has changed over the last 500 years mirrors how changes have occurred in the biomedical sciences.

SEPT. 8, 2008
Unexpected discoveries open new fields of basic and clinical research, making the achievements of the scientists behind those discoveries both priceless and prizeworthy.

SEPT. 11, 2007
As in art, creation (through invention) and revelation (through discovery) are two different routes to advancement in the biomedical sciences.

SEPT. 11, 2006
In many respects, carrying out bold, high-risk experiments resembles venture capital.

SEPT. 11, 2005
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Lasker Awards. Mary Lasker's establishment of two separate awards reflects her philosophy of medical research: major advances come from both the bench and the bedside.

SEPT. 10, 2004
A stone and wood installation by British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy reveals how decisions are made about which scientific discoveries are true milestones and prizeworthy of being etched in Lasker stone.

SEPT. 10, 2003
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the chemical structure of DNA and the creation of a lung-heart machine that allowed open-heart surgeries. The year when these discoveries were made, however, the show was stolen by another event — the first issue of Playboy magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe on its cover.

SEPT. 9, 2002
Advances in sciences and the arts often result from synergistic interactions and symbiotic relationships between pairs of individuals. An example of such interaction in the arts is the nature of the Matisse-Picasso relationship. This year's Lasker Awards honor individuals who illustrate such relationships in science.

SEPT. 11, 2001
Conceptual advances in the biomedical sciences are crucially dependent on technological innovation. The 2001 Lasker awards celebrate the development of two technologies — one that has allowed the manipulation of the mouse genome with exquisite precision and a second one that has made in vitro fertilization (IVF) possible.