Progeria Research Foundation to Honor David R. Liu and the Gravel Family

Dr. David R. Liu, a professor at the Broad Institute and Harvard, will receive the Science and Medicine (S.A.M.) Award. His laboratory pioneered base editing—a technique functioning akin to a genetic spell check—which serves as the foundation for the SamPro-2 therapy currently moving toward clinical trials. This research aims to correct the specific mutation responsible for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, a rare condition that accelerates the aging process in children.

The gala will also present the Amy Award to Cathy and Dave Gravel, the founders of the Peabody-based firm GraVoc. For over two decades, the couple has provided sustained financial and personal support to the foundation. Their involvement spans from hosting community film screenings to arranging VIP experiences for patients visiting for clinical trials. The awards ceremony, held every two years, highlights the dual necessity of high-level scientific innovation and grassroots advocacy in the effort to find a definitive cure.