A University of Rochester alumnus is sharing the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.
The university tweeted Monday morning about the honor for Dr. Harvey J. Alter.
The breakthrough by Dr. Alter, Charles M. Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton is said to have “made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.”
Alter holds both a Bachelor of Arts (1956) and MD degree (1960) from the University of Rochester.
“Dr. Alter exemplifies Rochester’s long tradition of scientific research and discovery. His contributions to solving the global public health challenge of Hepatitis C are an example of Meliora in action—making the world ‘ever better,'” University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf said in a statement.
Alter was given the Charles Force Hutchison and Marjorie Smith Hutchison Medal in 2015, the university’s highest honor for alumni achievement and service.
The announcement Monday morning marks the 13th Nobel laureate to have graduated from or been a faculty member of the university. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Donna Strickland, a 1989 alumnae of the university. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to two men – one of whom was Paul Romer, a former assistant professor of economics at the University of Rochester from 1982 to 1986.
–13wham