13th Double Helix Medals dinner raises over $4 million

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., Nov. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) hosted the 13th Double Helix Medals dinner (DHMD) on November 7th and raised $4.5 million. Held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the gala honored the contributions to basic research of Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Norton.

Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mr. Mark Zuckerberg were honored for their philanthropic support of research through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The organization partnered with CSHL to fund bioRxiv, a free preprint service that enables life science researchers to openly share drafts of papers before they are published in peer-reviewed research journals.

"Mark and I are beyond honored to receive Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Double Helix Medal," said Chan. "We feel privileged to help lift up and support the work of scientists and researchers who are on the front lines of helping to cure, prevent or manage all disease."

Dr. Larry Norton was recognized for his work as a breast cancer oncologist. He is the Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center and the scientific director of the Breast Cancer Research Fund. Norton was awarded the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncologists in 2004.

"Looking back on my career, it is clear that all that I have been able to accomplish has been the result of collaborations and other meaningful interactions with my colleagues," said Norton. "Institutions like CSHL and my own MSK are extraordinary simply because they encourage and foster such interactions. This award honors the productivity of our entire community, of which I am proud to be a part."

"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is proud to share in the mission of promoting basic research as a building block of our future with these prestigious honorees," said CSHL president and CEO, Dr. Bruce Stillman.

The 2018 Double Helix Medals dinner was chaired by Ms. Jamie C. Nicholls and Mr. O. Francis Biondi, Mr. Leonard A. Lauder, Dr. and Mrs. Arthur D. Levinson, Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Lindsay, Mr. and Mrs. Yuri Milner, Dr. and Mrs. Howard L. Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Eduardo Saverin, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Taubman. Since the first DHMD honored Muhammad Ali in 2006, the event has raised over $40 million for the Laboratory's biological research and education programs.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program annually hosts more than 12,000 scientists. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and the DNA Learning Center with programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.

SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

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