Awards
The William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award

The HEP DART Organizing Committee recognizes that every scientific and medical advance relies on the strong foundations of discoveries by those who have come before us. 

Instituted in 2005, the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award is given at each HEP DART conference to a researcher who has made integral contributions over their career toward the advancement of care of persons infected with hepatitis viruses.

William H. Prusoff Dr. Prusoff (Yale University, New Haven, USA) had a long and successful career focusing on the synthesis, evaluation and elucidation of the mechanism of action of anticancer, antiviral and radiation sensitizing compounds.  He discovered idoxuridine, the first antiviral agent approved by the FDA, which led to the discovery of the first selective anti-HSV compound.  His pioneering work on viral-induced thymidine kinase led to the understanding of the mechanism of drugs like acyclovir, widely used for the treatments of herpesvirus infections. Dr. Prusoff discovered the anti-HIV effect of stavudine (D4T), synthesized the first boron-substituted nucleoside, and his discoveries have led to safer and effective treatments for some cancers. Dr. Prusoff passed away on April 3, 2011.

Previous recipients of the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award:
2005:     Dr. Jesse Summers, University of New Mexico, USA
2007:     Dr. Harvey Alter, National Institutes of Health, USA
2009:     Dr. Michael Houghton, Epiphany Biosciences, USA
2011:     Dr. Robert Purcell, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, USA

Dr. Summers accepting the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award at HEP DART 2005.	Dr. Alter accepting the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award at HEP DART 2007.	Dr. Houghton accepting the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award at HEP DART 2009.
Dr. Purcell accepting the William H. Prusoff HEP DART Lifetime Achievement Award at HEP DART 2011.