11 Nov 1998

The organizers of this year's special interest social on Alzheimer's disease decided to stage an awards ceremony to salute scientists who had distinguished themselves in various categories not ordinarily recognized by the committees of better-known scientific prizes. Although few Hollywood celebrities, if any, were to be spotted at the event, the Alois Awards shared many similarities with an analogous film-industry ceremony that takes place annually a few blocks up the avenue from the L.A. Convention Center, including the aura of secrecy surrounding the winners (whose names were concealed within sealed envelopes), the prize (a small golden statuette of a humanoid form), and the employment of two individuals who resemble Billy Crystal as much as anyone else in the field: Dale Schenk and Rudy Tanzi (stepping in at the last moment for a mysteriously AWOL John Hardy). This year's prizes bring a welcome breath of self-directed humor in a field that badly needs it. And the winners were:

Best Highlighted Yet Confusing Research Topic
-Sam Sisodia for Presenilin

Best Resurrected Research Topic
-The Mandelkows, on behalf of the Whole Tau Community

Best Elaborate Research Topic
-Rudy Tanzi for α2 Macroglobulin

Boldest Choice for an AD Transgenic Spokesmodel
-Matthias Staufenbiel et al.

Most Slides Ever Shown in a 12-Minute Neuroscience Presentation
-Dora Games (60 slides)

Best Persistent Research Topic
-Dennis Selkoe for β-Amyloid

Most Thoroughly Beaten Research Topic
-Steven Younkin for Aβ42

Person Most Responsible for Consolidating Support for the Amyloid Hypothesis
-Allen Roses

Comments

No Available Comments

Make a Comment

To make a comment you must login or register.

References

No Available References

Further Reading

No Available Further Reading