Robert Lefkowitz, M.D., internationally acclaimed Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Duke University Medical Center, has been named a recipient of the National Medal of Science for his lifetime contributions to the biological sciences.
Lefkowitz, 65, of Durham, is to be honored Sept. 29 during a White House ceremony with President Bush. He's being cited for his research leading to increased understanding of the largest, most important and most therapeutically accessible receptor system that controls the body's response to drugs and hormones.
"Even for a highly decorated and often recognized scientist like Bob, this represents a remarkable and extraordinary achievement," said Victor Dzau, M.D., chancellor for health affairs and CEO of the Duke University Health System and a member of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center board.
The National Medal of Science was established by Congress in 1959 as a presidential award to be given to individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences." Now it also includes the social and behavioral sciences.