| (October 23, 2002)
The International
Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the PKD Foundation jointly announce the creation of the Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the
Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease [PKD]. This prize will be
awarded to a medical professional or researcher exhibiting excellence and leadership in
PKD research every two years at the ISN’s World Congress of Nephrology. The $50,000 cash
prize is one of the most significant awards in the medical research field.
The Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize has been established
through the generosity of Thomas Kaplan, Paris, France, in honor of his late mother
Lillian Jean Kaplan who died of the disease earlier this year, to stimulate interest in
advancing PKD research leading to new treatments and a cure for PKD.
PKD is more common than cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia,
hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, Down’s syndrome, and Huntington’s disease combined,
making it the world’s most common life-threatening genetic disease. It affects 600,000
men, women, and children in the U.S., and 12.5 million people worldwide.
PKD causes cysts to form on both kidneys limiting their ability to
filter toxins from the blood. A normal kidney is about the size of one’s fist, while a PKD
kidney can grow to the size of a football and weigh as much as 38 pounds each. Dialysis
and transplantation are the only treatments for kidney failure. There is no treatment or
cure for PKD, but scientists supported by the PKD Foundation and the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) are actively pursuing therapies to slow or stop the progression of PKD.
Each child of a parent who has PKD will have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the
disease.
“The Lillian Jean Kaplan
International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease is a
wonderful way to reward those who have dedicated their lives to research that helps
improve the lives of people who suffer from PKD,” said Dan Larson, PKD Foundation President and CEO. “We are deeply indebted to Mr. Kaplan for his
generosity and foresight in establishing this prize.”
“It is a real pleasure for the ISN and the PKD Foundation to partner in this exciting
venture initiated by Mr. Kaplan,” said ISN President, Dr. Robert Atkins of the renowned Monash Medical
Center in Australia; “the
Lillian Jean Kaplan Prize will significantly add to the awareness of PKD worldwide and
will be a major event at the ISN Congresses.”
The deadline for nominations for the 2003 Lillian Jean Kaplan
International Prize for PKD Research is February 15, 2003. PKD research
experts selected by the PKD Foundation and the ISN will judge entries. The first prize
will be awarded at the ISN World Congress in Berlin, June 8-12, 2003.
Full Nomination requirements
are available on the ISN and PKD Websites.
Nominations are to be sent to:
Nathan W. Levin, M.D.
Chair, Selection Committee
Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic
Kidney Disease [PKD]
Renal Research Institute,
207 East 94th Street,
New York, NY,
USA 10128
Information about the ISN is available at (404) 727-8527 or www.isn-online.org
Further information about PKD is available at (800) PKD-CURE or www.pkdcure.org.
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