The Joram Piatigorsky Basic Science Lecture and Award recognizes notable eye and vision scientists whose discoveries will help advance downstream research in fields such as genetics, neuroscience, developmental biology, and computer science. This award gives special consideration to basic scientists who take risks exploring imaginative ideas and little-studied species.
Recipients are chosen by a panel of esteemed basic scientists from the National Institutes of Health and top universities. The awardee presents an NIH-wide lecture at the National Eye Institute (NEI) every year.
This program is managed by the FNIH and the NEI, based on the generous support of pioneering researcher Joram Piatigorsky, PhD, and his wife, Lona.
2024 Award Recipient

Rachel O Wong, MD
Department Chair, Biological Structure, University of Washington
Dr. Wong studies the developmental mechanisms that shape the structure, function, and connectivity of the retina. Her research has identified activity-dependent and independent mechanisms working in concert to assemble the stereotypic wiring patterns of retinal circuits. Her lab has taken advantage of several vertebrate species, including ferret, chick, zebrafish, mice, human, and non-human primates to uncover developmental strategies common or unique to each species. Her lab studies circuitry in vivo and in vitro using cellular imaging approaches and molecular genetics, and more recently has sought to better understand retinal remodeling and regeneration after loss of retinal neurons.
Past Recipient
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2023
Dr. Dan-Eric Nilsson, PhD
A renowned researcher and lecturer, Dr. Nilsson co-wrote Oxford University Press’ Animal Eyes, a biological study that explores the evolution and science behind not only human eyes, but those across all animal phyla. Dr. Nilsson is a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and head of the Lund Vision Group. View a recording of his 2023 lecture.
Honoring a Pioneer in Molecular Biology and Eye Research
Dr. Piatigorsky is a molecular biologist and eye researcher who founded the NEI’s Laboratory of Molecular and Development Biology in 1981, serving as its chief until 2009. Dr. Piatigorsky developed the concept of gene-sharing based on the institute’s research on lens crystallins in various vertebrates and invertebrates, such as scallops and jellyfish, that few even knew had an eye. He generalized and extended the gene-sharing concept, showing how basic research focused on the eye could have applications to genetics, development, and evolution in general. Now retired, Dr. Piatigorsky retains the title of Scientist Emeritus at the NIH.
FNIH Contact
For more information, please contact Advancement Officer Regina Merritt at [email protected].