An Open Letter From Breakthrough Prize Laureates

We, recipients of the Breakthrough Prize, stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in support of their unqualified right to peace, security, and self-determination.

We have watched Russia’s unprovoked attack with horror, as a nascent democracy fights for its life against a powerful neighbor with fearsome firepower. President Putin’s actions are cold-blooded, senseless, and entirely unjustified, violating both international law and the fundamental human rights of the Ukrainian people.

We stand in admiration of the many Russians, inside and outside the country, who have spoken out against this evil, including scientists, writers, and people from all walks of life. Many have done so at great personal risk, and we commend them for their courage.

Most of all, our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people, who are suffering unimaginable losses in this senseless war. We profoundly admire their bravery and sacrifice, which serve as a beacon to all who struggle for democratic self-determination and freedom.

Breakthrough Prize Laureate Signatories (March 4, 2022):

  • Ian Agol, 2016, Mathematics
  • Victor Ambros, 2015, Life Sciences
  • Nima Arkani-Hamed, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Cornelia I. Bargmann, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Shankar Balasubramanian, 2022, Life Sciences
  • Alim Louis Benabid, 2015, Life Sciences
  • C. Frank Bennett, 2019, Life Sciences
  • Charles L. Bennett, 2018, Fundamental Physics
  • David Botstein, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Edward S. Boyden, 2016, Life Sciences
  • Lewis C. Cantley, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Emmanuelle Charpentier, 2015, Life Sciences
  • Zhijian “James” Chen, 2019, Life Sciences
  • Joanne Chory, 2018, Life Sciences
  • Don W. Cleveland, 2018, Life Sciences
  • Titia de Lange, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Sheperd Doeleman, 2020, Fundamental Physics
  • Jennifer A. Doudna, 2015, Life Sciences
  • Simon Donaldson, 2015, Mathematics
  • Catherine Dulac, 2021, Life Sciences
  • Stephen J. Elledge, 2017, Life Sciences
  • Lyn Evans, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • Daniel Z. Freedman, 2019, Fundamental Physics
  • Jeffrey M. Friedman, 2020, Life Sciences
  • Michael B. Green, 2014, Fundamental Physics
  • Alan Guth, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Christopher Hacon, 2018, Mathematics
  • Martin Hairer, 2021, Mathematics
  • Michael N. Hall, 2014, Life Sciences
  • F. Ulrich Hartl, 2020, Life Sciences
  • Gary Hinshaw, 2018, Fundamental Physics
  • Arthur L. Horwich, 2020, Life Sciences
  • Joe Incandela, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • Peter Jenni, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • David Julius, 2020, Life Sciences
  • Takaaki Kajita, 2016, Fundamental Physics
  • Jeffery W. Kelly, 2022, Life Sciences
  • Alexei Kitaev, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • David Klenerman, 2022, Life Sciences
  • Adrian R. Krainer, 2019, Life Sciences
  • Eric S. Lander, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Robert Langer, 2014, Life Sciences
  • Virginia Man-Yee Lee, 2020, Life Sciences
  • Richard P. Lifton, 2014, Life Sciences
  • Andrei Linde, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Kam-Biu Luk, 2016, Fundamental Physics
  • Jacob Lurie, 2015, Mathematics
  • Juan Maldacena, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Pascal Mayer, 2022, Life Sciences
  • James McKernan, 2018, Mathematics
  • Takuro Mochizuki, 2022, Mathematics
  • Kazutoshi Mori, 2018, Life Sciences
  • Michel Della Negra, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • Peter van Nieuwenhuizen, 2019, Fundamental Physics
  • Harry F. Noller, 2017, Life Sciences
  • Lyman Page, Jr., 2018, Fundamental Physics
  • Alexander Polyakov, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • Adam Riess, 2015, Fundamental Physics
  • Gary Ruvkun, 2015, Life Sciences
  • Charles L. Sawyers, 2013, Life Sciences
  • John H. Schwarz, 2014, Fundamental Physics
  • Nathan Seiberg, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Ashoke Sen, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • David N. Spergel, 2018, Fundamental Physics
  • Andrew Strominger, 2017, Fundamental Physics
  • Atsuto Suzuki, 2016, Fundamental Physics
  • Terence Tao, 2015, Mathematics
  • Richard Taylor, 2015, Mathematics
  • Kip S. Thorne, 2016, Fundamental Physics
  • Cumrun Vafa, 2017, Fundamental Physics
  • Alexander Varshavsky, 2014, Life Sciences
  • Tejinder Singh Virdee, 2013, Fundamental Physics
  • Peter Walter, 2018, Life Sciences
  • Robert A. Weinberg, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Edward Witten, 2012, Fundamental Physics
  • Shinya Yamanaka, 2013, Life Sciences
  • Richard J. Youle, 2021, Life Sciences
  • Huda Yahya Zoghbi, 2017, Life Sciences