King Confers Prince Mahidol Award 2008 To 3 Persons

[Jai Dee]

King confers Prince Mahidol Award 2008 to 3 persons

His Majesty the King conferred the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 to three distinguished persons on Wednesday (January 28).

His Majesty the King conferred the award in the field of medicine to Professor Dr. Sérgio Henrique Ferreira, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the field of public health to Professor Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, member of the Board of the Research Foundation for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, Japan and Professor Dr. Yu YongXin, Director Emeritus, First Department of Viral Vaccine, National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, People`s Republic of China.

During the award presentation ceremony on Wednesday (January 28) at 5.30 pm at the Chakri Throne Hall, His Majesty the King said that no nation in the world which could be perfectly prosperous if its people’s health was problematic.

As a result, he said, research for medical progress was for the whole humanity’s benefit, not for any particular party. International communities thoroughly benefit from it.

“I would like to sincerely extend my sincerely congratulations to Professor Dr. Sérgio Henrique Ferreira, Professor Dr. Michiaki Takahashi and Professor Dr. Yu YongXin who are conferred this year’s Prince Mahidol Award from your great achievements from your perseverant and highly sacrificed researches until you achieve admirable successful targets which benefit all classes of people in all parts of the world”.

“You are good exemplary people who make good deeds. May I wish all of you who present here to be happy and prosperous all the time”, blessed His Majesty the King.

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn hosted the banquet in honour of the Prince Mahidol Awardees 2008 on the same day at Boromrajasathitmaholarn Throne Hall at 7.30 pm.

The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation was established on January 1, 1992 in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol. The Foundation is under Royal Patronage, with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as president. The Prince Mahidol Award is conferred annually upon individual(s) or institution(s), which have demonstrated outstanding and exemplary contributions to the advancement of medicine, public health and social services throughout the world. Each Award consists of a medal, a certificate and a sum of 50,000 dollars.

On November 3, 2008, the Board of Trustees chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn considered the total of 49 candidates from 19 countries. It decided to confer the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 in the field of medicine to Professor Dr. Sérgio Henrique Ferreira, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Professor Dr. Ferreira`s discovery of the Bradykinin Potentiating Factor (BPF) which is a peptide found in the venom of a Brazilian snake.

His discovery paved the way for the development of the angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors (ACEI), the first of which is the drug called captopril. Professor Ferreira also discovered the COX-2 inhibitors. The Discovery of the ACEI and the COX-2 inhibitors are saving lives of millions of patients around the world.

In the field of public health, the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 is conferred to Professor Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, member of the Board of the Research Foundation for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, Japan and Professor Dr. Yu YongXin, Director Emeritus, First Department of Viral Vaccine, National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, People`s Republic of China.

Professor Dr. Takahashi`s discovery of the varicella vaccine led to the worldwide use of the vaccine to prevent chicken pox, particularly millions of children from all over the world. Professor Dr. Yu`s research and development of SA 14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis (JE) have contributed to the prevention of the disease with no cure. His efforts have helped ensure that millions of patients in Asia would be spared death and disability from the disease.

Two Nobel laureates received the Nobel Prize from the same research project that brought them the Prince Mahidol Award, including Dr. Barry Marshall, from Australia and Professor Harald zur Hausen from Germany. Professor Marshall, the 2001 Prince Mahidol Awardee in the Public Health, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2005 for his discovery of a new type of bacteria called “Helicobacter pylori”.

His findings transformed therapy of peptic ulcers from consumption of antacid H1 receptor or radical gastric surgery, to a short highly effective course of antibiotics. Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen, the 2005 Prince Mahidol Awardee in Public Health, who is recently awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 29 January 2009

[samgrowth]

This is just one of the countless great achievment from the great King of Thailand.

Well done and I am so happy for the people of Thailand to have such a great king.

The king of kings as the world's kings praise him during the last gathering in Bangkok a few years back.

At that time, Thaksin (being the PM) was trying to steal the limelight without success.

I wish the Thai king well and rule forever.

[DaleBlue]

Doing a King of Kings google search, I have found this excellent discussion in ThaiVisa

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-King-Ur...nd-t156927.html

http://www.google.co.th/search?num=100&amp...ing+of+kings%22

[samgrowth]

http://www.imeem.com/leelawadi/music/8DdIH...ng_of_kingsmp3/

MP3 of the song King of Kings, I think it is composed by the Thai King himself.

A great song. I love it very much. This just show how talented the Thai King is.

Edited January 29, 2009 by samgrowth

[Journalist]

This is just one of the countless great achievment from the great King of Thailand.

Well done and I am so happy for the people of Thailand to have such a great king.

The king of kings as the world's kings praise him during the last gathering in Bangkok a few years back.

At that time, Thaksin (being the PM) was trying to steal the limelight without success.

I wish the Thai king well and rule forever.

...and let us not forget to congratulate the actual recipients of the award too !

Well done doctors.

[taxexile]

Professor Marshall, the 2001 Prince Mahidol Awardee in the Public Health, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2005 for his discovery of a new type of bacteria called “Helicobacter pylori”.

His findings transformed therapy of peptic ulcers from consumption of antacid H1 receptor or radical gastric surgery, to a short highly effective course of antibiotics.

and let us not forget to congratulate the actual recipients of the award too !

Well done doctors.

well , i for one would like to congratulate prof. marshall too , as i have benefitted from the above discovery.