Douglas C. Wallace, professor of pathology & laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Michael and Charles Barnett Endowed Chair in Pediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Metabolic Disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was named the 2017 recipient of the Franklin Medal in Life Sciences from the Franklin Institute.

Dr. Wallace was honored for his work with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in humans. His work has demonstrated the maternal inheritance of mtDNA in humans, reconstructed ancient human migrations using mtDNA variations, identified the first mtDNA mutation associated with an inherited disease and shown that mutant mtDNA can profoundly affect the nuclear genome and cause complex diseases. This has led the way to therapies for those diseases and for the aging process.

The Franklin Medal was established in 1824. Past recipients have included Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Stephen Hawking and Marie Curie. More than 100 Franklin Medal laureates have also received Nobel prizes.