Second Annual William K. Warren, Jr Prize for Excellence in Celiac Disease Research Awarded to Professor Salvatore Auricchio of Naples, Italy

Professor Salvatore Auricchio, Professor of Pediatrics, University “Federico II” of Naples, was awarded the distinguished Warren Prize for 2008 and delivered the Warren Prize lecture at the University of California, San Diego. The Warren Prize was established by William K. Warren, Jr, and The William K. Warren Foundation to recognize investigators from the international scientific community whose research is judged to have made a significant contribution to celiac disease research. The award is presented at the annual research symposium sponsored by the William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease at the University of California, San Diego. Professor Auricchio was selected as this year's recipient by a group of scientific experts based on important contributions to celiac disease research by his group that span a 30-year period. Using epidemiologic approaches, his early studies showed a protective effect of breast feeding on the development of celiac disease.1 Further studies from his group revealed an increased occurrence of celiac disease in families, and discovered that families of celiac disease probands often have other affected members with celiac disease who are asymptomatic.