Victor Ambros speaking to reporters at a press conference at UMass Chan Medical School on Oct. 7.
Newly minted Nobel Laureate Victor R. Ambros, PhD, has garnered international media attention after winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his role in the discovery of microRNA. Dr. Ambros, the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and professor of molecular medicine, shares the prize with research collaborator Gary B. Ruvkun, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Journalists from around the globe immediately began requesting interviews with Dr. Ambros following the announcement at 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 7 by the Nobel Assembly. Following a 10 a.m. press conference at UMass Chan Medical School amid colleagues, staff and reporters, Ambros spoke individually with reporters spanning the globe, including the BBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, along with local news outlets, including his hometown paper, the Valley News. His wife, Rosalind “Candy” Lee was by his side for every interview. Lee is senior scientist in Ambros’ lab and the first author on the seminal 1993 Cell paper cited by the Nobel Committee.
“Farmers are do-it-yourself-ers,” Ambros told the Valley News. He was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and grew up on a family dairy farm in Hartland, Vermont. “I learned from my father and neighbors that if you want something to work in a certain way you can build something to make that happen.”
Ambros told The Washington Post, “Honestly, this was not something that I expected,” noting that he believed the 2006 Nobel Prize encompassed the phenomena he studied. “The microRNAs are part of a broader sweep of regulatory mechanisms,” he added. “What the microRNAs really end up revealing for us is a way that parts of our genome can communicate with other parts of the genome. The significance of this discovery of microRNAs is that it allowed us to be aware of a very complex and nuanced layer of regulation whereby genes in our cells talk to each other.”
Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun spoke via Zoom to Lisa Mullins, the host of WBUR’s All Things Considered. The “machinery of science” is actually people “working together, talking, brainstorming, sharing ideas, pitching crazy ideas and supporting each other,” Ambros said. “It’s not by, you know, the genius luminary, giving instructions to the minions. And it’s such a privilege and delight to be a scientist and to be part of this enterprise.”
Coverage by the media highlighted the importance of his contribution to science and its transformative effects on medicine.
WBUR News
Two Massachusetts scientists share Nobel Prize for discovery of microRNA
https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/10/08/nobel-prize-medicine-massachusetts-harvard
The Washington Post
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/10/07/nobel-prize-medicine-victor-ambros-gary-ruvkun-2024/
The Wall Street Journal
MicroRNA Pioneers Win Nobel Prize in Medicine
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nobel-prize-in-medicine-awarded-to-microrna-pioneers-9a5fd415?mod=americas_whatsnews_pos4
The New York Times
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/health/nobel-prize-medicine.html
BBC
Nobel Prize goes to microRNA researchers
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79nrgp97x9o
Scientific American
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded for Discovery of MicroRNA Gene Regulation
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-awarded-for-discovery-of-microrna-gene/
Science
‘Out of the blue’ discovery of RNAs that regulate genes wins Nobel
https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-who-discovered-microrna-win-nobel-prize-physiology-or-medicine
New Scientist
Nobel prize for medicine goes to the pair who discovered microRNA
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2450800-nobel-prize-for-medicine-goes-to-the-pair-who-discovered-microrna/
South China Morning Post
Nobel Medicine Prize for ‘groundbreaking’ microRNA discovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQR4m_MjhTE
STAT News
2024 Nobel prize in medicine: Ruvkun, Ambros win for discovery of microRNA
https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/07/nobel-prize-medicine-ambros-ruvkun-awarded-prize/
TIME
What to Know About MicroRNA, the Nobel-Prizewinning Discovery
https://time.com/7064822/nobel-prize-microrna-victor-ambros-gary-ruvkun/
Reuters
Nobel prize for medicine: US duo Ambros and Ruvkun win for discovery of microRNA
https://www.reuters.com/world/nobel-prize-medicine-goes-us-scientists-ambros-ruvkun-2024-10-07/
The Boston Globe
Two Massachusetts professors awarded Nobel Prize in medicine
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/07/world/nobel-prize-medicine/
Telegram & Gazette
Victor Ambros, researcher at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, wins Nobel Prize
‘Long overdue’: UMass Chan celebrates as researcher Victor Ambros wins Nobel Prize
https://www.telegram.com/story/news/education/2024/10/07/victor-ambrose-researcher-at-umass-medical-school-wins-nobel-prize/75551962007/
Worcester Business Journal
UMass Chan researcher wins Nobel Prize
https://www.wbjournal.com/article/umass-chan-researcher-wins-nobel-prize
Boston Business Journal
Winners of 2024 Nobel Prize in medicine hail from UMass, MGH
https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2024/10/07/mgh-umass-chan-nobel-prize-awardees.html
WCVB-TV
Two local scientists honored with Nobel Prize in Medicine
https://www.wcvb.com/article/two-massachusetts-professors-honored-with-nobel-prize-in-medicine-for-discovery-of-microrna/62526984
CNN
Nobel Prize in medicine goes to two American biologists for work on the discovery of microRNA
https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/07/science/nobel-medicine-prize-discovery-microrna-victor-ambros-gary-ruvkun-intl/index.html
Valley News
Upper Valley native co-recipient of Nobel Prize
https://www.vnews.com/Hanover-native-wins-Nobel-Prize-57352058
