A professor from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine has been selected as an official nominator for one of the most prestigious prizes in science and medicine in the world.
The Japan Prize Foundation names prominent scientists from around the world to be official nominators to select candidates worldwide whose original and outstanding achievements have advanced the frontiers of knowledge for mankind.
Dr. Tofy Mussivand, Professor of Surgery, was invited recently to join an elite group of official nominators for the Japan Prize, which ranks with the Nobel Prize among top prestigious awards globally.
The Japan Prize Foundation’s selection of an individual from Ottawa, Canada among the world’s prominent scientists whom they trust and respect as nominators is a great honour for the Faculty, the University, and Canada.
Winners of the Japan Prize are considered to have furthered the cause of peace and prosperity through science and technology. It is awarded annually to scientists with outstanding breakthroughs worldwide in two selected fields, which for 2018 include the category of Medical Science and Medicinal Science.
The Japan Prize website lists eligible achievements for this category as “scientific and technological breakthroughs, such as new discoveries or the development of innovative technologies in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment or prognosis of diseases, thereby contributing towards the health and well-being of mankind.”
Dr. Mussivand himself is a pioneer in medical device innovation and a strong believer in the importance in providing high-quality, affordable health care in Canada and around the world.
He acknowledges that the task of nominating candidates for the Japan Prize is not an easy one, but an important one. He intends to solicit and consider the opinions of other prominent global scientists.
“If someone has done something valuable, particularly outstanding contributions to human knowledge, prosperity and peace, they need to be recognized worldwide,” says Dr. Mussivand.
In addition to a certificate of merit and a prize medal, laureates receive a cash prize of 50 million yen (approximately C$500,000). The Presentation Ceremony is held in Tokyo in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councillors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, foreign ambassadors to Japan, and a thousand other distinguished guests.
The deadline for nominations is February 2017, with winners announced in January 2018 and presented with their prizes mid-April 2018