Double Helix Medal

The Double Helix Medal has been awarded annually since 2006 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to individuals who have positively impacted human health by raising awareness and funds for biomedical research. At the inaugural dinner, Muhammad Ali received the first Double Helix Medal for his fight against Parkinson's disease. Other notable recipients include founders of Autism Speaks Suzanne and Bob Wright; former Paramount Pictures head Sherry Lansing who produced the Stand Up to Cancer telethon; Evelyn Lauder who founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Hank Greenberg of the Starr Foundation, which is one of the largest supporters of scientific research; Marilyn and Jim Simons, the world’s largest individual supporters of autism research; David H. Koch who has donated over $300 million to biomedical research; and prominent scientists and Nobel laureates.

The Double Helix Medal is named for the iconic “winding-staircase” structure of the DNA molecule, discovered by Dr. James D. Watson and Dr. Francis Crick in 1953. They, along with Dr. Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the double helix, which Watson and Crick called "the secret of life." The study of DNA, which carries all of life’s information, is central to biological research, and is at the heart of work at CSHL.

The annual New York City gala at which the medals are awarded was sparked by philanthropist Cathy Cyphers Soref, an Honorary Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Association.