Patricia Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award

Given by KS&A to recognize an individual’s achievements to understanding and addressing X and/or Y chromosome aneuploidy

The Patricia Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented for the first time by KS&A in March 2006, honors a person who has had a profound positive influence on understanding and addressing X and/or Y chromosome aneuploidy conditions including Klinefelter syndrome, Trisomy X, XYY syndrome and associated conditions. 

The award is named after Professor Patricia Jacobs, DSc, FRS, formerly Director of the Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.  Dr. Jacobs is the geneticist who, in 1959, described the first chromosomal abnormality in man, the additional X chromosome in Klinefelter syndrome; and later that year, identified Trisomy X in women.  During her long and distinguished career, Professor Jacobs has published over 250 scientific papers, the majority of which concern abnormalities of the human X and/or Y chromosome. 

Befitting a trophy bearing her name, Dr. Jacobs became the first recipient of the award, which will be given annually by KS&A, when she was honored at the First National Conference on Trisomy X and XYY that KS&A co-sponsored in March 2006 at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute in Sacramento, CA. 

The award itself was designed by artist Bob Bennett of Bennett Galleries, and features a sleek, fluid, high polished bronze design reminescent of the DNA double helix.  Ironically, Mr. Bennett’s grandchild died of Trisomy 18, a rare chromosome abnormality concerning which Dr. Jacobs has also contributed through her genetic research.  Some of the famous individuals who have previously received Bennett Gallery-based personal recognition awards include former President George Bush, Pope John Paul II and Oprah Winfrey among many others.  Examples of companies and organizations that have purchased or commissioned Bennett Gallery-based awards include the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, the Monterey Film Festival, the National Football League, NBC, Time Magazine, the United Negro College Fund, AOL Time-Warner and Johnson & Johnson.

The bronze sculpture is maintained at KS&A national office as a perpetual trophy, and will be engraved with the names of each year’s recipient.  Recipients of the lifetime achievement award, commencing with Professor Jacobs, receive a flame-shaped crystal trophy etched with their name, and name and date of the KS&A event at which they received the award.

Click here to purchase a copy of the acceptance speech given by Dr. Jacobs.