Washington: US President Barack Obama would present the prestigious National Medal of Science to an Indian-American scientist Dr Rakesh K. Jain on January 22 for his outstanding contribution to science. Dr Rakesh K Jain is among 17 scientists, engineers, mathematicians and innovators who will be awarded the National Medals of Science and Technology and Innovation from Obama at a White House ceremony which is going to be held on next Friday.

Awarded annually, the Medal of Science recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science, engineering, and mathematics. The National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 and is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen its technological workforce.

Rakesh K Jain, an IIT-Kanpur alumnus, is a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of tumour biology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has received numerous awards for his work on tumor biology, particularly research on the link between tumor blood vessels and improving the effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He was widely recognized for his seminal discoveries in tumour biology, drug delivery, in vivo imaging, bio-engineering, and bench-to-bedside translation.

Jain has received more than 75 awards from engineering and medical professional societies/institutions. He is a member of all three branches of the US National Academies – the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences – and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2014, he was chosen as one of 50 Oncology Luminaries on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2015, he received honorary doctorates from Duke University, KU Leuven, Belgium and IIT-Kanpur, India. Now, Jain will receive the National Medal of Science on January 22.