Profile of Alexander Y. Rudensky, winner of the 2018 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

Abstract

In October 2017, the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation announced the names of the latest winners of the renowned “genius” grants: fellowships awarded for “originality, insight, and potential,” to outstanding scientists, writers, visual artists, and members of other professions. Of the 24 fellows selected, at least one-third are immigrants to the United States, working in fields as varied as immunology, anthropology, psychology, social work, and creative writing. Foreign-born scientists in the United States are routinely well-represented among recipients of prestigious honors, including the Nobel Prizes and election to the National Academy of Sciences, to name but a couple of high honors bestowed on scientists. Alexander Y. Rudensky. Image courtesy of The Vilcek Foundation. T regs in the T cell zone of a lymph node. Foxp3 is shown in blue, CD4 in green, T-bet in red, and CD44 in white. Image courtesy of Alejandra Mendoza (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City). Immunohistochemical staining of a human triple-negative breast cancer tumor with anti-Foxp3 antibody (brown) and hematoxylin. Image courtesy of Hannah Y. Wen (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City). In 2005, the New York City-based Vilcek Foundation began an annual prize program to recognize exceptionally accomplished foreign-born scientists working in the United States. The program’s mission is to raise public awareness of the role of immigrant talent in sustaining the nation’s global leadership in science, technology, and the arts. The Vilcek Foundation’s prize winners are chosen by accomplished peers and receive a cash award of $100,000. Since 2009, the Vilcek Foundation has also recognized promising young scientists who have carved a niche for themselves early in their careers through pathbreaking work that has caught the attention of the scientific community; each winner of the Creative Promise Prize currently receives a $50,000 cash award* (concomitantly, the Vilcek Foundation recognizes foreign-born … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jan.vilcek{at}nyumc.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1