Ambros, who is of Polish ancestry, is widely recognised as a pioneering figure in molecular biology and gene regulation. Together with fellow researcher Gary Ruvkun, he was honoured by the Nobel Committee last year for the discovery of microRNA – tiny RNA molecules that revolutionised our understanding of gene expression.
Their groundbreaking work revealed a previously unknown mechanism crucial to the development and function of multicellular organisms, including humans, and has opened new paths in understanding autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes.
Ambros and Ruvkun had already shared the Gruber Prize in Genetics in 2014.
Ambros has longstanding ties with the Silesian University of Technology, particularly through research on post-transcriptional gene regulation involving microRNA.
Before receiving the Nobel Prize, he had twice been invited to present keynote lectures at the university’s annual Gliwice Scientific Meetings, an international research conference—once remotely during the pandemic, and in person in 2023.
According to the university's rector, Prof. Marek Pawełczyk, the ceremony earlier this week marked the first time Ambros has ever received an honorary doctorate.
At the ceremony, Pawełczyk praised not only Ambros’ scientific contributions but also his humility and dedication to truth-seeking over accolades.
"His journey, marked by reflection, teamwork, and openness to interdisciplinary thought, is an example to follow," Pawełczyk said of Ambros.
This sentiment was echoed in the official laudatory speech delivered by Prof. Krzysztof Fujarewicz, who described Ambros as "a Renaissance man" with a rare ability to draw connections across disciplines and scales, from astronomy to birdwatching to molecular biology.
"He is curious about the world at every level," Fujarewicz said. "He observes patterns in the cosmos, in animals, in cells, and finds analogies between them."
Fujarewicz also told the ceremony that true scientific discovery cannot be planned.
"There’s no such thing as a grant proposal that guarantees discovery," he said. "But discovery happens when the right person is in the right place at the right time – someone who thinks beyond conventions. Victor Ambros is such a person."
In his acceptance speech, Ambros expressed deep gratitude to the Silesian University of Technology for welcoming him into its fold, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He spoke movingly about his Polish heritage, revealing that although his father, who was born in prewar Poland, did not speak Polish at home or talk about his childhood, he felt deeply honoured to be recognised in his father’s ancestral homeland.
Ambros also reflected on his career, frequently crediting his research teams and collaborators as central to his achievements. He described the long path to discovering microRNA and highlighted the scientific partnerships that made the work possible.
Victor Ambros. Photo: CJ GUNTHER/PAP/EPA
Born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, Ambros grew up on a farm as one of eight siblings. He is the first scientist in his family.
He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in biology in 1975 and completed his PhD there under Nobel laureate David Baltimore.
He began his academic career at Harvard University, later becoming a professor at Dartmouth College and then the Dartmouth Medical School.
Since 2008, he has served as Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences and co-director of the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Ambros has received numerous scientific accolades over the years, with the Nobel Prize marking the peak of his distinguished career.
He is now the 56th recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Silesian University of Technology, and only the second Nobel laureate to receive the distinction, the first being chemist Brian Kobilka in 2023.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP