Saudi Arabia's King Faisal Foundation announced Tuesday that Koji Nakanishi, a Japanese scientist based in the United States, and Marion F. Hawthorne, a professor at the University of California, have won this year's King Faisal International Prize. Nakanishi, a professor at Columbia University, and Hawthorne were cited for their efforts to prevent eyesight deterioration among the elderly.
The King Faisal International Prize, which comes with $200,000 in cash and is regarded as the most prestigious in the Arab world, is awarded every year in five categories: service to Islam, Islamic studies, medicine, science and Arabic literature.
The last Japanese recipient of a King Faisal prize was Ryoji Noyori, the 2001 Nobel chemistry prize laureate. Noyori received the King Faisal prize for science in 1999.