Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

The Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement recognizes individual(s) whose seminal scientific work constitutes tangible achievement toward improving knowledge and treatment of PKD. $50,000 USD is payable in American funds to an individual winner. More than one prize may be awarded and it may be awarded to residents of any country without restriction. The 2017 Prize will be presented at the World Congress of Nephrology in Mexico in April 2017. In addition to the $50,000 USD prize, a citation depicting the winner’s work and a sculpture will be presented. The awardee(s) will present a lecture during the World Congress of Nephrology. A complete nomination must include the following information:

The full name and complete contact information for the nominee(s).
A formal letter of nomination which contains a summary of the contributions of the nominee(s) and a description of how and why the work of the nominee(s) represents a major advance in basic or clinical understanding of PKD, distinguishing those aspects of the work which clearly set it apart from the work of others in the field.
A full curriculum vitae and bibliography of the nominee(s).
At least two letters of support for the nomination.
The full name and complete contact information for the nominator(s).

Nominations should to be sent to: Dr. Nathan W. Levin Chair of the Advisory Committee Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of PKD nwlevin3@gmail.com

2017 Award recipients

Ronald D. Perrone, M.D.

Dr. Ronald D. Perrone, who is the Scientific Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center at Tufts Medical Center, has received numerous honors and awards, including the title of “Top Doctor” from the Boston Magazine for several years and the Physician of the Year Award from the PKD Foundation. He was also a member of the PKD Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee for many years and a Region 1 Representative at the OPT/UNOS Kidney Transplant Committee. Dr. Perrone has been instrumental in collaborations with the PKD Foundation, Critical Path Institute, PKD researchers, pharmaceutical industry leaders and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to aid clinical trial development for PKD therapies and to provide a clear regulatory pathway for evaluation of the effectiveness of potential treatments. Dr. Perrone’s long-standing and wide-ranging interest in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) includes basic investigations addressing mechanisms of ion transport by cystic epithelia, clinical investigations describing causes of mortality in ADPKD end-stage renal disease population, and participation and direction of clinical trials in ADPKD.

David R. Beier, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. David R. Beier is the Director of the Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and a professor in pediatrics at the University of Washington. Dr. Beier’s laboratory at Seattle Children’s uses genetic analysis in model systems to understand human biology and identify genes that contribute to diseases and developmental abnormalities. In 2016, Dr. Beier was awarded a two-year research grant from the PKD Foundation to investigate how variations in genes that do not cause the disease can influence the severity of PKD in patients. His theory is that these genes could potentially be novel targets for therapy. Dr. Beier’s research aims to identify such genes by creating mutations that affect disease progression in mouse models.