CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON CONGRATULATES RECIPIENTS OF THE 2011 NOBEL PRIZE

Washington, DC – (Friday, December 2) –  Yesterday, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member on the House, Science, Space and Technology Committee, attended a reception honoring the 2011 Nobel Prize recipients for their contributions to the sciences.

Congresswoman Johnson offered the following statement: “I sincerely admire the recipients for their hard work and dedication to their respective fields. The accomplishments of these scientists and economists are strong examples of how the U.S. is leading the world in science. I hope that we continue investing in science, technology, engineering, and math so that the U.S. can maintain its competitive edge.”

Dr. John P Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy honored the laureates below:

Dr. Saul Perlmutter, Physics

Dr. Adam G. Riess, Physics

Dr. Brian P. Schmidt, Physics

Dr. Bruce A. Beutler, Physiology or Medicine

Dr. Ralph M. Steinman, Physiology or Medicine (in memoriam)

Dr. Thomas J. Sargent, Economic Sciences

Dr. Christopher A. Sims, Economic Sciences

Dr. Bruce A. Beutler, honored laureate, currently serves as a geneticist and immunologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  Dr. Beutler was awarded the Nobel Prize for his joint discovery of receptor proteins that recognize disease-causing agents and activate innate immunity, the first step in the body’s immune system.

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek,Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.