10th December 2020: The Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences (SHAMS) award ceremony, hosted from Dubai, took place at 7pm last night. Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of the Dubai Health Authority, the SHAMS award celebrated its eleventh term (2019-2020) and 21st year.
SHAMS was established with a view to honour researchers from every part of the world who tirelessly pursue distinctive medical research that serves the larger interest of humanity. A total of ten winners across the various categories of the award; international, regional and local, were honoured at the ceremony. The winners were recognised for their extraordinary contributions to medicine and healthcare, worldwide. The Award ceremony concluded with a glittering display of the winners on the façade of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
The official announcement was made at a virtually held event ceremony, in line with the UAE`s commitment to maintain social distancing to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The topic of the Grand Hamdan International Award was Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. American born and educated Professor Bradley Nelson is the latest recipient of the Grand Hamdan International Award for ‘fostering a new generation of miniaturized components integrating polymers and microorganisms, paving the way to soft nanorobots capable of interacting with human tissues.’
Prof. Nelson received his Ph.D. in Robotics (Robotics Institute, School of Computer Science), from Carnegie Mellon University in 1995. He is the Head of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH, the public research university in the city of Zürich, Switzerland, where he has been Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems since 2002. His research focuses on micro robotics and nanorobotics, highlighting its applications in biology and medicine. Prof. Nelson’s selection for the award acknowledges his remarkable contribution to intelligent systems for medical nanorobotics, specifically his leading role in the transition from rigid nanostructures to soft, flexible architectures, inspired by the dynamics of biological microorganisms.
Congratulating the winners, Mr. Abdulla Bin Souqat, Executive Director at SHAMS said: “Professor Nelson follows in the tradition of previous distinguished winners of the Grand Hamdan Award. Two of our previous winners, Professors Harvey J. Alter and Robert G. Edwards went on to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine.”
11th term (2019-2010)