At 18:30 local time on April 23, UNESCO held an award ceremony at the UNECA conference centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to award the 8th UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize to Chinese scientist Qiao Jie and others for Research in the Life Sciences) in recognition of his pioneering contributions in the field of life sciences, in particular the pioneering construction of the world's first high-precision whole-genome sequencing map of human female eggs.
In addition to Qiao Jie, the other two laureates are Professor Faraj from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Cairo University in Egypt and Professor Stylianopoulos from Greece from the University of Cyprus. They were awarded for their contributions to metabolomics research and cancer treatment, respectively.
Chinese scientists Tu Youyou and Shi Yigong have won the award.
Qu Xing, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Vice-President of the African Union, Ayeli Rige, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the African Union and UNESCO, and Clement Ngonga Nguema Onguine, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, attended the award ceremony and delivered speeches in turn, recalling and emphasizing the important positive significance of the prize in accelerating scientific progress in Africa and other regions of the world.
As a specialist in reproductive medicine, Qiao Jie has broadened the understanding of reproductive physiology and the mechanisms behind infertility diseases, UNESCO said in its official website. He has led the team to reveal a series of black boxes in the process of human gamete and early embryonic development regulation at multiple levels, and has continued to explore the etiology and clinical diagnosis and treatment of infertility for many years, especially the key role of intestinal microbes in female reproductive disorders. In addition, Qiao Jie has made a series of theoretical and technological breakthroughs in the preservation of female fertility and the development of new methods for genetic diagnosis of preimplantation embryos, which has pushed precision medicine to the field of reproductive health. In addition, she is also committed to sharing and exchanging experiences with countries around the world, especially developing countries, establishing shared databases, promoting cutting-edge technologies, and making outstanding contributions to human health and well-being.
The UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Life Sciences Research was established in 2008 to reward outstanding life science research, which can be conducted by individuals or institutions, to make significant contributions to the improvement of the quality of human life. The award is funded by the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and is awarded globally to up to three laureates each year.
Source: Peking University News Network, etc