US Scientist Receives Cuban Academic Certificate

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 16 (acn) Nobel Chemistry Award laureate 2003, Peter Agre, biologist and university professor welcomed on Wednesday in Havana the condition of Corresponding Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Ismael Clark Arxer, President of the institution granted the recognition diploma during a ceremony at the Academy of Sciences with the presence of a US delegation, Pan American Health Organization and representatives of the national scientific community.

In exclusive statements to ACN, he said that he is grateful and expects that this experience can bring together our two countries. The US scientist has visited Cuba six times, including his participation in an international event at the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute.

There are many barriers and obstacles for Cuban scientists, but they have a very valuable resource, the enthusiasm of the younger generation that will contribute with a brilliant future for your country, said Agre referring to the US economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.

Agre publically expressed his gratitude for the distinction and one of his colleagues, Rush D. Holt of the American Association for the Advancement of Science expressed his conviction that the Cuban Academy of Sciences made a good selection in granting the diploma.

The two professionals make up the group of Cuban and US experts that participated in a symposium on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and its control, which was held las Tuesday at the IPK and was part of the 15th International Dengue Course.

The Cuban academics adopted the decision to grant the distinction to Agre last March during a plenary meeting destined to foreign experts that have contributed to scientific development.

According to Jorge Pastrana, there are 20 Corresponding Academics from 19 countries that are represented in the ACC.

On the list of foreign members are Physiology, Biophysics and Psychiatry Professor from the University of Illinois Mark Rasenick and the Pontiff Bishop of the Academy of Sciences of the Vatican, Monsignor Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo.

The US researcher, member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Arts and Sciences received the Nobel Prize for his contribution in the discovery of a for "discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes."
Agre was recognized for his discovery of aquaporin water channels. Aquaporins are water-channel proteins that move water molecules through the cell membrane.

Agre is currently the director of the Research Institute on Malaria of the Bloomberg School of Public Health of the John Hopkins University in Maryland.