Scripps Oceanographer keeps hands on prize
Russ Davis, a research oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, was recently honored with the Prince Albert I Gold Medal.
The scientist was acknowledged for his work with observational research and the invention of scientific instruments, including Argo floats and Spray gliders, which have transformed the field of oceanography. He received the 2007 Prince Albert I Gold Medal from the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO).
The IAPSO, which includes former Scripps director Roger Revelle as one of its past presidents, awarded the medal on July 4, during the General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) in Perugia, Italy.
Previous winners include Scripps physical oceanographer Walter Munk, who was awarded the medal in 2001.
For more information, see www.sio.ucsd.edu.

JIAI’s von Herrath named 2007 Scholar
Scientist Matthias von Herrath, professor of developmental immunology at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, received the 2007 Scholar Award of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
The JDRF, which is the world’s largest charitable funding foundation in the field of Type 1 diabetes, awards scientists who are pioneers in their methods toward finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Each of the six recipients named worldwide will receive $250,000 annually for up to five years to finance his or her research.
In his research, von Herrath looked at the cells of animals with Type 1 diabetes that are involved in the immune response in the pancreas. Through live microscopy imaging, von Herrath plans to monitor the islet cells of the pancreas to acquire more information about what happens when the islets are being attacked.
The San Diego chapter of the JDRF honored von Herrath as a 2007 Health Hero, an award given to people or businesses that make contributions to a better health for San Diegans.