On the morning of September 12, Beijing time, the Shanghai Top Scientists Development Foundation held a press conference in Shanghai to announce the winners of the 2024 World Top Scientists Association Prize (WLA Prize, known in Chinese as “顶科协奖”).
The 2024 WLA Prize for "Intelligent Science or Mathematics" is awarded to Jon Kleinberg, Chair Professor of Computer Science and Information Science at Cornell University, "in recognition of his pioneering contributions at the intersection of computer science and social science, including his intellectual leadership in the fields of social networks and algorithmic fairness."
The 2024 WLA Prize for "Life Sciences or Medicine" is awarded to Jeremy Nathans, Chair Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, "for his contributions in discovering the genes of human color vision, their regulation and plasticity, and elucidating the mechanisms of diseases leading to blindness."
Each of the two awardees will receive a prize of 10 million yuan.
Jon Kleinberg has been a leading figure in intelligent science for nearly three decades, with research spanning numerous fields, including computer network routing, data mining, and biological structure comparison.
Jeremy Nathans was previously a member of the Lasker Medical Prize selection committee and has made remarkable academic achievements in visual science. He has revealed the molecular basis of human color vision, clarified the mechanisms of retinal development and its relationship with hereditary eye diseases through genetic research, and explored the potential of gene therapy for visual system disorders, paving new avenues for research and clinical applications in visual science, while also reshaping our understanding of "how humans perceive the world."
As of 2024, the WLA Prize has been awarded three times, honoring a total of nine outstanding scientists.