2024
Sir Shankar Balasubramanian & Sir David Klenerman
The revolution began at a local pub: now, the human genome can be read in just one hour
In a serendipitous moment, two then-unknown chemists engaged in conversation at a pub and laid the foundation for a genomics revolution. Professors Sir David Klenerman and Sir Shankar Balasubramanian are now being honoured with the 2024 Novo Nordisk Prize for their pioneering work, which enables the human genome to be sequenced in just an hour. This has opened the door to personalised healthcare and enhances our understanding of human diversity and disease. Photo: Nathan Pitt, University of Cambridge.
About Sir Shankar Balasubramanian
Sir Shankar Balasubramanian
Professor
- 1988 BA (Hons) Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge
- 1991 PhD, University of Cambridge
- 1991–1993 SERC/NATO Research Fellow, Pennsylvania State University
- 1994–1998 Royal Society University Research Fellow
- 1998–2008 Lecturer, Reader and then Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 2008– Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 2010– Senior Group Leader, Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Institute
- 2011 Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science
- 2012 Fellow of the Royal Society
- 2023 Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA)
About Sir David Klenerman
Sir David Klenerman
Professor
- 1979 MA, Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge
- 1982 PhD, University of Cambridge
- 1985–1985 Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University
- 1987–1994 Research Scientist at BP Research
- 1994–2007 Lecturer and Reader, University of Cambridge
- 2007 Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Cambridge
- 2012 Fellow of the Royal Society
- 2015 Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science
- 2016 Royal Society Glaxo Wellcome Professor of Molecular Medicine
- 2018 Group leader, UK Dementia Research Institute, Cambridge
- 2023 Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA)