Blaise Pascal Medal in Chemistry
Professor Vincenzo BALZANI, Italy
In recognition of his outstanding activities dedicated to introduce
novel principles in the design, construction, and characterization
of molecular-level devices and machines in the frame of the bottom-
up approach to nanotechnology. The innovative aspect of this
research is the idea that the concept of macroscopic device can be
extended to the molecular level, and that it is possible to design
supramolecular systems capable of performing specific functions upon
stimulation with external energy inputs, in particular with light.
For the outstanding results obtained in this field, he has been
awarded with the prestigious Porter Medal in Photochemistry (2000)
and the Prix Franco-Italien de la Societé Française de Chimie
(2002). The results were developed in many papers and in several
review articles. Vincenzo Balzani's constant and unvalued efforts in
delineating the key functions of Science in the human Society should
also be underlined.
Blaise Pascal Medal in Medicine
Professor Edgardo D. CAROSELLA, France
In recognition of his outstanding work on foetal tolerance during pregnancy.
His remarkable discovery has totally changed our understanding of foetal
tolerance during pregnancy. He was the first to formally find the answer to
the age-old question of why a mother tolerates her semi-allogenic foetus,
which bears powerful paternal MHC antigens. Professor Carosella was the
pioneer who demonstrated the protective role of HLA-G molecule on
trophoblasts which form a shield protecting the foetus from the immune
reaction of its mother and subsequent reject. Thus the pregnancy can
continue developing. He has since then described the immunological
mechanisms and therapeutic applications of this molecule, of which he is the
undisputed international leader. His studies on HLA-G molecule have
introduced the concept of an HLA tolerance molecule in the heart of the MHC
complex of antigens, previously considered solely as antigens of immune
defence and rejection. His discovery will provide a considerable advance in
the treatment of pregnancies, organ transplantation and in the immunotherapy
of cancer.
Blaise Pascal Medal in Physics
Professor Jean DALIBARD, France
In recognition of his outstanding and influential works in atomic physics
and quantum optics: manipulation of atoms by electromagnetic fields to
obtain extremely cold gases, with applications from metrology to collective
quantum phenomena. In particular, Jean Dalibard proposed the principle of
the magneto-optical trap, a tool henceforth very extensively and
successfully used in atomic and molecular physics; he also showed the
possibility of realizing matter-wave frequency modulation. Since 1998, he
has studied the properties of Bose-Einstein Condensates and has shown that
condensates in rotation contain arrays of quantized vortices. With his team,
he demonstrated the first example of a magnetically guided atomic beam in
the collision regime, revealed interferences of an array of independent BECs
and examined fermionic condensates.
Blaise Pascal Medal in Social Sciences and Humanities
Professor Claude DEBRU, France
In recognition of his outstanding works in philosophy of life sciences,
and more particularly in neuro-philosophy. He wrote a hundred articles and
more than twenty books, which are references in their field. He always
developed his main ideas on the solid basis of collaborations with eminent
biologists or physicians. One can cite his work on sleep, dreams and
consciousness, based on the experiments of the biologist Michel Jouvet (the
inventor of the concept of REM sleep) or on the hemoglobin with Jean Bernard
and Michel Bessis or Pierre Buzer who deepened the understanding of
fundamental biological processes, allowing him to show an impressive grasp
of scientific developments often imbued with the spirit of philosophical
inquiry that he developed as a former student of Georges Canguilhem. Claude
Debru obtained several prizes and is member of the German academy of
sciences Leopoldina and corresponding member of the French academy of
Science.
Blaise Pascal Medal in Materials Science
Professor Herbert GLEITER, Germany
In recognition of his outstanding achievements and discovery of a new
class of materials in which the volume fraction of the cores of interfaces
is comparable to the volume fraction of the crystallites forming these
interfaces. Materials of this kind were produced by consolidating
nanometer-sized crystallites and were thus called nanocrystalline or
nanostructured materials. In the subsequent years, this field expanded at a
remarkable rate: today hundreds of papers are published and several
international conferences are organized annually. His publications in this
area have been cited more than 10 000 times.
Blaise Pascal Medal in Information and Computational Science
Professor Thomas KAILATH, USA
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to many fields of
engineering and mathematics, for a stellar array of nearly one hundred
doctoral and postdoctoral scholars he has mentored during his remarkable
career at Stanford University ( where he was appointed as an Associate
Professor in 1963, just 18 months after being the first Indian to receiving
a doctorate in electrical engineering from MIT), for successfully
transitioning theoretical advances to industry through the over twenty
companies in Silicon Valley founded by his students, in several cases with
him as a cofounder. In 2006, Kailath was inducted into the Silicon Valley
Engineering Hall of Fame, which celebrates "the accomplishments of engineers
in SiliconValley who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement
and have made significant contributions to the Silicon Valley community". It
includes legendary figures such as Terman, Hewlett, Packard, Noyce, Moore,
Ted Hoff (inventor of the microprocessor), and Steve Wozniak (designer of
the first Apple computers).
Blaise Pascal Medal in Mathematics
Professor Pierre-Arnaud RAVIART, France
In recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of
mathematical modelling and numerical approximation of problems in Physics
and Mechanics. His work has had a major impact on the understanding of many
problems in physics and mechanics and is remarkable by the width and the
depth of its contributions. During the past fifty years, Pierre-Arnaud has
founded many different applied mathematical schools. He has worked
intensively on many different topics and for each of them, he has laid the
basis of a new mathematical setting, introducing new concepts and designing
new tools that have been widely used and further developed by students and
colleagues all over the world, not only in his community, but also in many
other groups, ranging from pure analysis to engineering.
Speeches
Presentations
Members GA
Ceremony of Awards
Pictures kindly offered by members we want very much to thank