The 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to Three American Researchers

The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers for their discoveries regarding the biological clock and the daily functions of the human body. The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, announced on October 2 that the winners are Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young. Michael Rosbash is a research professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, Michael Young is a professor at Rockefeller University in New York, and Jeffrey Hall is a professor at the University of Maine. The Karolinska Institute's statement notes that this $1.1 million prize is awarded for identifying and isolating one of the genes responsible for controlling the biological functions of the human body throughout the day. The statement mentions, "They have been able to investigate the inner workings of our biological clock and clarify its internal functions." The biological clock aligns the physical state of humans with various points throughout the day, affecting sleep, behavior, hormone levels, body temperature, and metabolism. These three researchers began their studies on human sleep patterns in the 1980s. The winners of the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced next week. The winner of the Economics Prize is also likely to be revealed on October 9. The most significant of these awards is the Nobel Peace Prize, which is the only one awarded in Oslo, Norway. The winners of this prize are expected to be announced on October 6. Some predict that this year's Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to the organizers and influential figures in the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of many foreign sanctions. In this case, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would jointly receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Other nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize include the Syrian Civil Defense units known as the White Helmets, Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor, Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger currently imprisoned, and Edward Snowden, who revealed the extensive surveillance and control of electronic communications by U.S. security agencies.