Deborah E. Wiley, Chairman of The Wiley Foundation, and Senior Vice President, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., announced yesterday the winners of the first annual Wiley Prize in the Biomedical Sciences.

"We are proud to bestow the first annual Wiley Prize in the Biomedical Sciences on Dr. H. Robert Horvitz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dr. Stanley J. Korsmeyer of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute," said Ms. Wiley. "As part of this honor, we have invited Dr. Horvitz and Dr. Korsmeyer to deliver a lecture on April 16th at The Rockefeller University in New York City."

Horvitz was selected for his seminal research on programmed cell death and the discovery that a genetic pathway accounts for the programmed cell death within an organism.

Korsmeyer was chosen for his discovery of the relationship between human lymphomas and the fundamental biological process of apoptosis. Notably, Korsmeyer's experiments established that blocking cell death plays a primary role in cancer.

"These pioneering researchers were chosen for their work in defining the genetic and molecular basis of programmed cell death. Their findings may lead to understanding the molecular basis of human development and the development of many diseases especially cancer," said Dr. Gunter Blobel, recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize awarded for Physiology or Medicine, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Professor of Cell Biology at Rockefeller University.

At Wiley's invitation, Blobel served as Chairman of the Awards Jury that selected Horvitz and Korsmeyer. Other members of the jury included Dr. David J. Anderson, a developmental neurobiologist at the California Institute of Technology, and Dr. Qais Al-Awqati, a physiologist at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The Wiley Prize in the Biomedical Sciences was created to recognize the contributions that have opened new fields of research or advanced novel concepts or their applications in a particular biomedical discipline. In addition, the Wiley Prize recognizes a specific contribution or a series of contributions that demonstrate significant leadership in the development of research concepts or their application. The award carries with it a $25,000 grant and an invitation to present a lecture at the Rockefeller University in New York City.

As a global publisher of print and electronic products, specializing in scientific, technical, and medical books, journals, textbooks, and reference works, over the last century Wiley has published and disseminated information on advances in science, technology, and medicine, contributed by researchers and scientists from around the world. "By creating the Wiley Prize in the Biomedical Sciences, Wiley wishes to acknowledge the contributions of that community to our corporate success, as well as to recognize and foster ongoing excellence in scientific achievement and discovery," explained Ms. Wiley.

Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., core businesses include scientific, technical, and medical journals, encyclopaedias, books, and online products and services; professional and consumer books and subscription services; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley has publishing, marketing, and distribution centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Wiley's Internet site can be accessed at www.wiley.com.