NEW YORK, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- A former First Lady, a developer of a faster way to produce desperately needed flu vaccines, and a medical devices company founded by a 29-year-old female Harvard medical student are among a compelling array of research, business and policy leaders on this year's Scientific American 50.
The Scientific American 50 recognizes contributions to science and technology during 2003-2004 that promise a better future. The list honors the achievements of individuals, organizations and institutions, named by the magazine as research, policy and business leaders in science and technology categories ranging from Computing and Medical Treatments to Aerospace and Energy.
The Scientific American 50 appears in the December issue of Scientific American, the nation's premier magazine devoted to science and technology. The issue hits newsstands on November 23 and may be simultaneously accessed on the magazine's website at http://www.sciam.com/.
The following are the list's top three awards and their recipients:
* Research Leader of the Year -- Deborah S. Jin, Fellow, Joint Institute
for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO. Jin's unprecedented success
at creating a peculiar new state of matter called a "Fermi condensate"
promises someday to enhance superconductivity technology.
* Business Leader of the Year -- Peter Cartwright, Chairman and CEO,
Calpine Corporation, San Jose, CA. Cartwright's San Jose-based
Calpine, an independent power company, has one of the best
environmental records in the business and is leading the way in
low-emission electricity generation.
* Policy Leader of the Year -- Douglas A. Melton, Thomas Dudley Cabot
Professor of the Natural Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
To compensate for tight federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell
research, Melton working with private funds greatly expanded the number
of stem cell lines available for research. He helped co-found the new
Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Melton's work also points to a critical
role for embryonic stem cells in cultivating the pancreatic cells that
secrete insulin, a discovery highly significant for future diabetes
therapies.
In addition, this year's Scientific American 50 identifies 47 other research, business and policy leaders. They include:
* Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady, Los Angeles, CA (Medical Treatment
Policy Leader). Her public statements and fundraising have advanced
the cause of embryonic stem cell research.
* Richard J. Webby, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
(Public Health and Epidemiology Research Leader). His faster method
for creating avian flu vaccines may eventually be used to produce human
flu vaccines and prevent the kind of shortage we are now experiencing.
* Intelligent Medical Devices, Cambridge, MA (Medical Diagnostics
Business Leader). Founded by 29-year-old Harvard medical student Alice
Jacobs, the company is developing a new generation of life-saving
medical devices that are less invasive and allow doctors to instantly
and more accurately diagnose disease at the point of patient care.
"What distinguishes the leaders in the Scientific American 50 is their diversity," said Editor-in-Chief John Rennie. "We are celebrating that no matter whether they work in science, industry or policy, they are advancing both technology and the good of society as a whole."
To obtain the full Scientific American 50 list and additional information, contact BOLDE Communications at 212-727-1680.
Scientific AmericanCONTACT: Elizabeth Ames, BOLDE Communications & Public Relations,+1-212-727-1680, eames@boldepr.com, for Scientific American
Web site: http://www.sciam.com/