The biggest cash prize in science has been won by a British researcher for his work in furthering the understanding of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
Last night John Hardy from University College London was awarded the $3 million Breakthrough prize in life sciences, at a ceremony in California attended by the actors Russell Crowe and Hilary Swank and which included a performance by Pharrell Williams, the singer. Professor Hardy received the prize for his research into the genetics of Alzheimer’s and for developing the “amyloid hypothesis” of how it progresses.
His theory, which has gained credence since he proposed it in 1991, posits that the disease is caused by the deposition of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. These sticky proteins accumulate in clumps and