The Lasker Award is a medical award given annually to the living person considered to have made the greatest contribution to medical science, or who has demonstrated public service on behalf of medicine. It was created in 1945 by Albert Lasker and Mary Woodard Lasker and is administered by the Lasker Foundation.
Eighty-six Lasker laureates have subsequently received the Nobel Prize, including 32 in the last two decades.The Lasker Foundation – 2008 Special Achievement Award Claire Pomeroy is the current president of the Lasker Foundation.
Award
The award is given in four branches of medical science:
Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award Lasker–Bloomberg Public Service Award (Renamed in 2011 from Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award. Renamed in 2000 from Albert Lasker Public Service Award.) Lasker–Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science (1994– renamed to that name in 2008) (optional) The awards carry an honorarium of $250,000 for each category.
A collection of papers from the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation were donated to the National Library of Medicine by Mrs. Albert D. Lasker in April 1985.
In addition to the main awards, there are historical awards that are no longer awarded.
Recent awards Recent winners include the following: