Joanne Chory, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Laureate, Passes Away

The Breakthrough Prize Foundation is saddened by the passing of Joanne Chory. Chory was a world-renowned plant biologist at the Salk Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, whose recent work focused on plant-based solutions to climate change. Chory was awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in 2018 “for discovering how plants optimize their growth, development, and cellular structure to transform sunlight into chemical energy.”

Chory died on November 12, 2024, at the age of 69 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. The Breakthrough Prize offers its deep condolences to her husband Stephen and children Katie and Joe, as well as to all her colleagues and friends.