The fifth annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences has been jointly awarded to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, Morris Herztein Professor of Biology and Physiology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco and Carol W. Greider, Ph.D., Daniel Nathans Professor and Director of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Greider were chosen for their discovery of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains chromosomal integrity and the recognition of its importance in aging, cancer and stem cell biology.
They are the first women to receive the Wiley prize in its five-year history. The award includes a $25,000 grant and the opportunity to present a public lecture at The Rockefeller University in New York City, also the venue for the awards ceremony.

In 1998 the Gairdner Foundation recognized Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Greider with a joint award "for the discovery of the structure of telomeres and the enzyme that synthesizes them.