SCILLS - The Scottish Institute for Cell Signalling

Ron Hay, a Programme Leader in the Protein Ubiquitylation Unit of the Scottish Institute for Cell Signalling (SCILLS), has been awarded the 2012 Novartis Medal and Prize of The Biochemical Society in recognition of his pioneering research on the ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO.

The Medal is awarded annually to scientists of any nationality working in the UK in recognition of contributions to the development of any branch of biochemistry. The recipient receives the Novartis Medal and £3000 and presents the Medal Lecture at a Society conference. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions. The award was donated in 1964 by the Ciba Laboratories, which later became Ciba-Geigy and subsequently Novartis.

Commenting on the award Ron Hay said, “It's a great honour to be awarded the Novartis Medal of the Biochemical Society. This recognition is a direct result of the hard work and creativity of the scientists who now work, and who have worked, in my laboratory. This also reflects on the high standard of the facilities available and the excellence of the scientific environment here in Dundee."

The award is the latest of several awards that Ron has received recently, including election as a Fellow of The Royal Society in 2010.

The Director of SCILLS, Philip Cohen, was a previous winner of the Prize in 1991.