Miami, FL (March, 2006) – Camillo Ricordi, M.D., received the 2006 Lois Pope LIFE International Research Award on Tuesday, March 7, during a special ceremony at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
Ricordi is the Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery and scientific director and chief academic officer at the Miller School of Medicine’s Diabetes Research Institute. He is also chief of the Division of Cellular Transplantation in the Department of Surgery, senior associate dean for research, and holds additional appointments in biomedical engineering and microbiology and immunology.
Renowned for developing the method to separate and isolate insulin-producing islet cells from a donor pancreas, Ricordi also led the team that performed the first successful islet transplants in patients with diabetes. Islet cell transplantation is seen as the most promising treatment, and possibly a cure for type 1 diabetes.
“It is a privilege to receive this award, and I am grateful to Mrs. Pope and to all my colleagues and collaborators at the University of Miami who have made our research progress possible,” said Dr. Ricordi.
Started in 1999, the Lois Pope LIFE International Research Award honors outstanding scientists whose work has resulted in significant breakthroughs. The $100,000 award will go to the Miller School of Medicine to support the continued research efforts of Dr. Ricordi.
As the recipient of this award, Dr. Ricordi presented a scientific lecture “Cell Therapies for the Treatment of Diabetes: From Vision to Clinical Application.”