Paul W. Noble, MD, Wins PRISM Prize

Ravi Thadhani, MD, vice dean of Research and Graduate Research Education, presented the award during the 2019 Commencement of the Cedars‑Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences on Thursday, May 30, at Harvey Morse Auditorium.

"Dr. Noble has made seminal contributions to our understanding of injury and corresponding treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and we are so proud he is an integral member of our institution," said Thadhani.

An international leader in pulmonary medicine, Noble's pioneering work has significantly expanded understanding of the molecular mechanisms of lung injury and repair. His research also has shed scientific light on pulmonary fibrosis, a poorly understood but deadly disease that scars lung tissue and obstructs breathing.

Noble's laboratory, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years, has conducted landmark investigations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is the most common type of pulmonary fibrosis. Noble and his colleagues have pinpointed a primary cause of IPF and identified drugs that slow the disease's progression. In the last five years, Noble additionally has made milestone advances in uncovering new mechanisms that regulate lung regeneration and progressive pulmonary fibrosis.

"It is an honor to receive the PRISM Prize. Since moving our research group to Cedars-Sinai nearly seven years ago, we have been very pleased with our discoveries about key mechanisms that regulate progressive pulmonary fibrosis, and we're hopeful our work will lead to new therapies for patients with pulmonary fibrosis," said Noble. "These achievements would not be possible without our team and the contributions of Dr. Carol Liang and Dr. Dianhua Jiang, who have been my colleagues for the last 22 years."

Noble, who received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine, is a prolific author whose research has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Nature Medicine and The Journal of Clinical Investigation, among others. He is an elected council member of the Association of American Physicians and an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

First awarded in 2015, the PRISM Prize is based on faculty nominations and a decision by a three-judge panel. Winners receive a monetary prize and a commemorative medal. Previous recipients are the late Ronald G. Victor, MD, professor of Medicine and associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute; Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, associate professor of Neurosurgery; Robert H. Baloh, MD, PhD, professor of Neurology and director of Neuromuscular Medicine; and Stanley C. Jordan, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Nephrology.