Page 48 - MBRF PR REPORT - May 2024

5/23/24, 9:59 AM MBRKA: Celebrating leaders in knowledge development
Following an almost three-year break owing to the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the
MBRKA was presented again to honor three outstanding medical professionals in 2022, in addition to
the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’.

Through their diligent efforts and extensive research experiences, Dr. Zhang Yongzhen, Dr. Drew

Weissman, and Dr. Katalin Kariko, were recognized for their significant role in developing COVID-19
vaccines as well as their outstanding contributions to disseminating knowledge globally. Their
groundbreaking research has produced extremely effective vaccinations that have been instrumental in
saving countless lives during COVID-19.

Dr. Zhang Yongzhen has worked at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing,
China, and the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre. He has carried out research in the field of rabies
and haemorrhagic fever prevention throughout his career. Dr. Yongzhen’s current research focuses on
the evolution, ecology, and transmission of several viruses. His research on the genetic structure of the
COVID-SARS-19 virus has accelerated research efforts considerably and resulted in the creation of

many vaccinations to fight this pandemic.

Dr. Drew Weissman runs a research laboratory that specializes in the study of RNA and innate immune
system biology, and the application of these findings to vaccine research and gene therapy. He
contributed to the development of the modified mRNA technology used in vaccines for preventing

COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Katalin Kariko, a renowned biochemist and researcher, has substantially contributed to mRNA
technology and the COVID-19 vaccines. She created the modified mRNA technology utilized in the
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection. Additionally, she also discovered a way to
improve mRNA technology to combat disease and trigger an immune response.

Following the MBRKA, Dr. Weissman and Dr. Kariko received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
2023, underscoring the MBRF’s keen eye for recognizing groundbreaking contributions in the field of
science, including biomedical research.

Among the MBRKA winners were the Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ and the “Lindau Nobel

Laureate Meetings. The Lindau Nobel Laureates Meetings” is a global forum for knowledge sharing
across borders, cultures, and disciplines. Every year, 500 young scientists and about 50 Nobel laureates
gather at the Lindau meetings for a week in an effort to promote knowledge exchange across
generations.

The Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe,’ is the first Arab mission that reached the orbit of Mars in 2021.

It provides a comprehensive picture of the planet’s atmosphere. This mission continues on its current
trajectory, providing the international space community with data regularly. Additionally, the mission
seeks to advance knowledge, scientific research, and various space applications while developing
skilled Emirati human resources in the field of space technology.

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