INFOSYS PRIZE 2024 AWARDS OUT: YOUNG RESEARCHERS ACROSS THE GLOBE WIN OVER $5 MILLION

Bengaluru, India - The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) announced the winners of the Infosys Prize 2024 on Thursday, recognizing groundbreaking research and scholarship in six categories: Economics, Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

For the first time, this year's prize honors researchers under the age of 40, emphasizing the need for early recognition of exceptional talent. In each category, a gold medal, citation, and a prize purse of $100,000 (or its equivalent in Indian rupees) will be awarded to the laureates.

Among the winners is Arun Chandrasekhar, Professor at Stanford University, who received the Economics Prize for his contribution to the study of social and economic networks. His research has provided critical insights into the functioning of modern economies and sheds light on the role of networks in policymaking.

In Engineering and Computer Science, Shyam Gollakota, Professor at the University of Washington, was recognized for his impactful research and technology translation. He made significant contributions to affordable healthcare tools, battery-free computing, and human auditory sensing using artificial intelligence.

Mahmood Kooria, Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, received the Humanities and Social Sciences Prize for his pioneering studies on maritime Islam, which revealed the role of Islamic law in shaping economic, political, and cultural transformations on the Indian Ocean littorals.

Siddhesh Kamat, Associate Professor at IISER-Pune, won the Life Sciences Prize for his discoveries concerning bioactive lipids and their receptors. His research has important implications for understanding cellular functions and human diseases.

Neena Gupta, Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, was chosen for her work on the Zariski Cancellation Problem, a fundamental problem in algebraic geometry. She proved a striking result that yielded a negative answer to the original problem in positive characteristic.

Finally, Vedika Khemani, Associate Professor at Stanford University, received the Physical Sciences Prize for her groundbreaking contributions to theoretical and experimental non-equilibrium quantum matter. Her discovery of time-crystals could have significant implications for future technologies like quantum computing.

The Infosys Prize is one of the largest awards in India that acknowledges excellence in science and research. ISF president Kris Gopalakrishnan said, "The Infosys Prize has played a pivotal role in recognizing brilliant minds whose contributions are shaping the future of research and science."