Robin Lovell-Badge Receives the 2021 ISSCR Public Service Award
Skokie, IL— The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is honoring Robin Lovell-Badge PhD, FRS, The Francis Crick Institute, UK with the 2021 ISSCR Public Service Award. The prize recognizes the outstanding contributions of public service to the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The award will be presented at the Presidential Symposium on 21 June during ISSCR 2021 Virtual, the world’s leading meeting of global innovators in stem cell science and regenerative medicine.
Dr. Lovell-Badge is noted for his discovery, made in collaboration with Peter Goodfellow, of the SRY gene on the Y-chromosome that determines sex in mammals. They shared the 1995 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for their discovery. Dr. Lovell-Badge currently is a Senior Group Leader and Head of the Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute in London. His work studies how stem cells that correspond to early embryo cells have the capacity to turn into many different cell types. His group also is studying how specific structures, such as the pituitary gland or the brain, develop as an embryo grows, and how these come to contain tissue-specific stem cells, and in turn what controls the fate of these stem cells.
For the last two years, Dr. Lovell-Badge has been leading a group of stem cell scientists to update the ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, driving international consensus around how to address rapid advances in the field.
“It is truly a privilege to recognize Robin for his innumerable contributions to the ISSCR and to stem cell science as an accomplished and respected researcher and an ambassador for the field,” said Christine Mummery, ISSCR President. “His leadership of the task force to update the Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, which is due out later this year, combined with his extensive contributions to science advocacy and essential role in driving controversial issues throughout his career, catapulted Robin to the top of the ISSCR Board’s consideration for this honor.”
“It is an incredible honor to receive this award, and I would like to thank the great collaborators and talented scientists I have had the privilege of working with and learning from,” Robin Lovell-Badge said. “The policy work I’ve been a part of is rewarding, offers a new perspective on our work, a chance to meet interesting people, and can be a lot of fun. It’s been a priority for me, and I would encourage others to take part where they can, offering and sharing their expertise to help secure the future for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.”
Award-winner biographies and photos are available upon request, as are interviews with ISSCR President Christine Mummery.
About the International Society for Stem Cell Research (www.isscr.org)
With nearly 4,000 members from more than 65 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. Additional information about stem cell science is available at A Closer Look at Stem Cells, an initiative of the Society to inform the public about stem cell research and its potential to improve human health.