Leading Genetics and Cancer Researchers Honoured With King Faisal International Prize

Spanning the fields of science, literature and Islamic thought, the seven recipients of this year's King Faisal International Prize - the most prestigious award in the Islamic world - have been announced.

The 2016 laureates are due to visit Saudi Arabia in March to receive their awards at a ceremony in Riyadhattended by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Executive President of awarding body, the King Faisal Foundation, and many other Saudi dignitaries.

Prizes are awarded each year in five categories: Medicine, Science, Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, and Arabic Language and Literature. This year's winners are:

King Faisal International Prize for Medicine  

Jointly awarded to Professor Han Grrit Brunner (Professor of Medical Genetics at the Radboud University, part of Nijmegen Medical Center) and Professor Joris Andre Veltman (Professor of Translational Genomics at Radboud University), both of whom are from the Netherlands, for their research into the clinical application of next generation genetics.

King Faisal International Prize for Science  

Jointly awarded to the UK's Professor Stephen P. Jackson (Professor of Cancer Research at the Gurdon Institute) and US-Indian Professor Vamsi K. Mootha (Professor of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School), for biological research.

King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam  

Sheikh Dr Saleh Abdullah bin Humaid (Saudi Arabia) - Consultant, Saudi Royal Court; Member of the Commission of Senior Religious Scholars, Imam and Preacher of the Holy Mosque in Makkah and President of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy Jeddah - who was recognized for his leadership and commitment to Islamic understanding and education.

King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies 

Awarded to Professor Abdullah bin Yousif Al-Ghunaim (Kuwait) - President of the Kuwaiti Studies and Research Center - for his study of Muslim Geography Heritage.

King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Language and Literature    

Jointly awarded to Professor Muhammad Muftah (Morocco) and Professor Mohammad Abdul Muttalib(Egypt), in recognition of their analysis of Arab poetic texts.

The King Faisal International Prize was inaugurated in 1979 to commemorate the late King Faisal'scommitment to humanitarian causes, and to recognize significant contributions made by the Muslim world to human progress.