III
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 615
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 12, 2012
Mr. Burr (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mrs. Hagan) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Congratulating the recipients of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Whereas the Nobel Prize is an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden;
Whereas the Nobel Prize has been awarded for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace since 1901;
Whereas the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden to recognize scientific advancements that have increased our understanding of chemical processes and their molecular basis;
Whereas the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., Professor and Chair of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California, for their studies on G-protein-coupled receptors;
Whereas G-protein-coupled receptors are a class of cell surface receptors that catch chemical signals from the outside and transmit their messages into the cell, providing the cell with information about changes occurring within the body;
Whereas the studies completed by Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., have significantly advanced our scientific understanding of G-protein-coupled receptors and their functions;
Whereas the groundbreaking discoveries made by Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., have made it possible to target and treat diseases more precisely and effectively, as nearly half of all medicines used in the world are aimed at G-protein-coupled receptors;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health supported the work done by Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., through research grants with the goal of advancing scientific knowledge and improving public health; and
Whereas the accomplishments and discoveries of Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., are significant achievements in the field of scientific and medical research and further promote the United States as a world leader in science: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
congratulates the recipients of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which is awarded for their outstanding scientific achievements and discoveries; and
recognizes Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California for their leadership role in advancing medical research.