Rockefeller University announces Carol W. Greider as co-recipient—and first woman winner—of the 2006 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences.
On 4 April 2006, The Rockefeller University announced that Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider would receive the 2006 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences for their discovery of the enzyme telomerase and elucidation of its role in protecting chromosome ends.
Biographical summaries from the Maryland State Archives note that in winning the 2006 Wiley Prize, Greider became the first woman to receive this award. This announcement thus marked a barrier-breaking moment in the history of the prize, which recognizes groundbreaking biomedical research that has opened new directions for medical science.
The event is historically significant not only for celebrating telomerase research but also for shifting the gender landscape of high-profile biomedical awards. Greider’s status as the first female Wiley Prize laureate highlighted the gradual yet important inclusion of women among top-tier scientific honorees, at a time when women remained underrepresented in major prizes.
The Rockefeller announcement helped elevate public and professional awareness of telomere biology as a key to understanding aging and cancer, while underscoring Greider’s leadership in the field. It also cemented the partnership between Blackburn and Greider as a model of collaborative, women-led discovery in molecular biology, inspiring subsequent generations of women scientists to pursue ambitious, fundamental research.