Winner of the 2024 Gruber Prize in Genetics a $500,000 Prize from Yale University Hugo Bellen has revolutionized our understanding of human diseases through groundbreaking work with fruit flies.

His lab has a promising cure for Alzheimer's that already works for mice and for fruit flies, yet because the drug is already generic no one wants to fund the clinical trial. At Baylor College of Medicine and the Duncan Neurological Research Institute, his innovations in genetic tools and screening methods have uncovered over 40 genes causing rare diseases. His lab's discoveries of how neurons interact with glial cells have provided crucial insights into common conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. His freely shared genetic resources have empowered hundreds of researchers worldwide.

Harald Hess's induction into the 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates a career defined by transformative discoveries and bold scientific leaps. His groundbreaking co-invention of PALM microscopy shattered the diffraction barrier that had limited microscope resolution for centuries, revealing the nanoscale world with unprecedented clarity.

This achievement emerged from an unusual career path that wound through the nation's premier research institutions - from MIT to the University of Chicago, Princeton, and Bell Labs - where he initially focused on pushing the boundaries of ultra-low temperature physics.

His pioneering work on evaporative cooling techniques helped advance our understanding of exotic quantum states. Rather than staying within established research domains, Hess repeatedly ventured into new territories, ultimately revolutionizing biological imaging.

PALM microscopy's impact has been profound, enabling researchers to observe molecular processes that were previously invisible, advancing fields from neuroscience to materials science. His journey exemplifies how scientific breakthroughs often emerge from the courage to cross traditional boundaries.

2024 National Champion Dr. Robert Costanza is a pioneering ecological economist who first calculated Earth's ecosystem services value at $33 trillion. Here is the 2024 winner of Japan's prestigious $500,000 Blue Planet Prize given yearly by The Asahi Glass Foundation.

GUEST LINKS:

Website: https://www.robertcostanza.com/

Books:
Addicted to Growth: Societal Therapy for a Sustainable Wellbeing Future: https://www.routledge.com/Addicted-to-Growth-Societal-Therapy-for-a-Sustainable-Wellbeing-Future/Costanza/p/book/9781032003368

Toward an Integrated Science of Wellbeing: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/toward-an-integrated-science-of-wellbeing-9780197567579?cc=us&lang=en&

An Introduction to Ecological Economics, Second Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ecological-Economics-Second/dp/156670684X