August 19, 2004
New UW Inventor of the Year award to be celebrated at Sept. 14 event
Dr. Benjamin D. Hall, professor of botany and of genome sciences, will be honored next month at a ceremony as the first recipient of the UW Inventor of the Year award. The award is presented by the School of Medicine’s Office of Industry Relations in cooperation with Frazier Healthcare, the Washington Research Foundation and area biotechnology and medical device companies.
Hall was a member of the UW Department of Genetics from 1963 to 1994. His research led to two inventions enabling the use of yeast cells for genetically engineered production of hepatitis B vaccine, human insulin, and human serum albumin. Income received from these patents has supported research by many UW faculty and graduate students.
Among many developments from Hall’s work, a new $60 million facility is now being developed in Snohomish County to produce the drug Leukine, with the process invented by Hall. The plant will be the state’s first large biotech drug producation faciltiy. Berlex, the American unit of pharmaceutical company Schering AG of Germany, holds rights to produce Leukine. The drug is used to counter effects of chemotherapy for cancer and trials are under way for its use in Crohn’s disease.
The reception honoring Hall will be from 5:30 to
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.
The Inventor of the Year reception is open to members of the UW community, although space is limited. To make reservations for the free event or for more information, contact Lea Smalls at 206-685-8710, or by e-mail at leas@u.washington.edu
