This Lebanese woman just won a $3 million prize at the ‘Oscars of Science’
Lebanese-born medical researcher and physician Huda Zoghbi is making history with her medical work, and the world has taken heed.
Zoghbi was awarded a $3 million prize by the Breakthrough Foundation, co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg, also known as the “Oscars of Science.”
She was the only female award winner at the award show this year.
The Breakthrough Awards 2017 recognized Zoghbi’s work in Spinocerebellar ataxia and Rett Syndrome, delving into the genetic causes of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Zoghbi, an American University of Beirut Trustee and Alumna, is all about helping people with her work.
“Material things and limelight are fleeting, they come and go. You could give me all the money in the world to do another job and I wouldn’t do it,” Zoghbi told The Guardian.
“I am working on something that will help people, and that reward is with you every day.”
Zoghbi plans to invest the money in setting up a mentorship award, a fund that aims to help young post-docs pursue their own ideas, as well as provide scholarships at AUB.
The foundation, which was founded by tech billionaire Yuri Milner alongside Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sergey Brin, awarded a total of $25 million in prizes in sciences and math.
