The Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, named for its first recipient, Lewis Thomas, is an annual literary prize awarded by The Rockefeller University[1] to scientists or physicians deemed to have accomplished a significant literary achievement; it recognizes "scientists as poets." Originally called the Lewis Thomas Prize for the Scientist as Poet, the award was first given in 1993. Recipients' writings bridge the gap between the laboratory and the wider world, in the spirit of Lewis Thomas' collection of essays The Lives of a Cell.[2]
The prize-giving ceremony is usually in the form of a lecture; winners receive a medal, a citation, and a cash award.
Subsequent recipients of the prize, awarded first for the year 1993 to Thomas, have been: