Rutgers Chemistry Professor Helen Berman To Receive Benjamin Franklin Award For Open Access In The Life Sciences

Helen M. Berman, Rutgers University Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB) and the Center for Integrative Proteomics Research, has been selected to receive the Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Access in the Life Sciences from Bioinformatics.org, also known as The Bioinformatics Organization, Inc.

Berman is Director of the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) Protein Data Bank (PDB), which has been based at Rutgers since 1998. She will receive the award and deliver a laureate presentation at the Bio-IT World Conference and Expo on Wednesday, April 30, in Boston. The honor is a humanitarian/bioethics award presented annually by Bioinformatics.org to an individual who has, in his or her practice, promoted free and open access to the materials and methods used in the life sciences. Berman is the 13th recipient of the award.

“Helen’s leadership of the Protein Data Bank has been invaluable to so many scientists,” said Professor Roger A. Jones, Rutgers CCB Chairman. “I can think of few if any people who are more deserving of an award for open access in the life sciences. Helen truly embodies the spirit of this special honor.”