Caltech Professor to Be Honored by The Rockefeller University for Discoveries in Immunology

Caltech Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering Pamela J. Björkman has been named the recipient of The Rockefeller University’s 2021 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize for her achievements and discoveries related to the human immune system, the university announced Thursday.

The recognition, which Rockefeller described as “the preeminent international award recognizing outstanding women scientists,” will be presented to Björkman during a virtual ceremony on Sept. 30, the university said in a written statement.

“She will be honored for discovering key aspects of the immune system that are helping to direct better treatment for infection from viruses and other diseases,” the statement said.

Björkman discoveries continue to help shape the way diseases are treated to this day, according to Rockefeller Professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Nobel Laureate Pearl Meister Greengard Prize Selection Committee Chair Michael W. Young.

“The Pearl Meister Greengard Prize shines a spotlight on extraordinary women who have made fundamental contributions to science,” he said.

“Dr. Björkman’s research has expanded our understanding of immune responses to viruses in new, fundamental ways,” Young continued. “Her discoveries have laid the groundwork for developing effective and life-saving vaccines, like those that were produced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

As a graduate student and postdoctoral investigator at Harvard University in the 1980s, Björkman is credited with an “essential breakthrough” in the field of  X-ray crystallography, Rockefeller representatives said.

“Today, at Caltech, Björkman is noted for her use of crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and biochemistry to study the atomic structures of proteins that mediate the immune system’s interactions with viruses such as HIV and, recently, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” according to the statement. “Her discoveries are expanding the horizons of fundamental biology while fueling the development of new therapies and preventive measures for a range of challenging health conditions.”

Prior accolades include the Gairdner Award, the William B. Coley Award, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Award, the Max Planck Research Award, the Rose Payne Distinguished Scientist Award, the L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award, and the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, the university added.

More information on the  Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, including a link to register to take part in the free online ceremony, is available online at rockefeller.edu/greengard-prize.