Bangalore – November 13, 2014: The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) today announced the winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 across six categories: Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. Now in its sixth year, the Infosys Prize honors high-caliber researchers for impactful contributions to their fields. This year’s winners have been recognized for research in fields as diverse as database design and optimization, interpretation of patent laws, understanding emotion and cognition in the brain, probabilistically checkable proofs, green chemistry and affordable health care. The prize consists of a purse of Rs. 55 Lakhs, a 22 karat gold medallion and a citation certificate for each category.
The winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 were evaluated by a panel of jurors comprising esteemed scientists and professors from around the world. The jury chairs are Prof. Pradeep K. Khosla− Engineering and Computer Science, Prof. Amartya Sen – Humanities, Prof. Inder Verma – Life Sciences, Prof. Srinivasa S. R. Varadhan – Mathematical Sciences, Prof. Shrinivas Kulkarni – Physical Sciences, and Prof. Kaushik Basu – Social Sciences.
The winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 are:
Engineering and Computer Science
Jayant Haritsa
Professor, Supercomputer Education and Research Centre (SERC) and Chair, Department of Computer Science and Automation (CSA), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India
Prof. Jayant Haritsa has been awarded this prize for his contributions to the design and optimization of database engines.
Humanities
Shamnad Basheer
Founder and Managing Trustee, Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA), Bangalore and Founder – SpicyIP, India
Prof. Shamnad Basheer has been awarded this prize for his contributions to the analysis of a range of legal issues, including pharmaceutical patent injunctions and enforcement.
Life Sciences
Shubha Tole
Associate Professor and Principal Investigator, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, India
Prof. Shubha Tole has been awarded this prize for her significant contributions to studying the hippocampus and amygdala – centers of learning and memory in the brain. Her work can lead to a better understanding of human behavior, cognition and emotions.
Mathematical Sciences
Madhu Sudan
Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research New England and Adjunct Professor, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) department and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Prof. Madhu Sudan has been awarded this prize for his seminal contributions to probabilistically checkable proofs and error-correcting codes.
Physical Sciences
Srivari Chandrasekhar
Scientist G, Organic Chemistry Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, India
Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar has been awarded this prize for his contributions in the general area of synthetic organic chemistry with a special focus on the synthesis of complex molecules from natural sources.
Social Sciences
Esther Duflo
Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Founder & Director, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), USA
Prof. Esther Duflo has been awarded this prize for her pioneering contributions to development economics, especially work related to countries such as India and Africa.
Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy, President, Board of Trustees, Infosys Science Foundation said, “The Infosys Science Foundation has been able to recognize some of the best researchers of our time through the Infosys Prize. The past laureates have established themselves further and each year there is palpable excitement as we await the announcement of the winners. Their contributions will be an inspiration to students and professionals and have the potential for real-time impact on individuals and society. The ISF continues to focus on its paramount agenda of fostering a culture of scientific thinking through initiatives such as public lectures, workshops for science teachers from rural areas, and science oriented events for school students.”
The award ceremony for the Infosys Prize 2014 will be held on January 5, 2015, in Kolkata, where Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, will felicitate the winners.
About the Infosys Science Foundation
The Infosys Prize is awarded under the aegis of the Infosys Science Foundation, a not-for-profit trust instituted in February 2009. The Infosys Science Foundation is funded by a corpus which today stands at over INR 100 Crore (US$ 16 million), contributed by the trustees and Infosys.
For more information, please visit www.infosys-science-foundation.com.
About Infosys
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