Overview

• The Princess of Asturias Award for Science and Technology 2025 was conferred on King by a jury chaired by Pedro Miguel Echenique Landiríbar.
• In 1990 King identified the BRCA1 gene, establishing its role in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
• Her findings have supported the development of precise genetic screening and preventive tools for at-risk individuals worldwide.
• King’s 1984 deployment of mitochondrial DNA testing aided Madres de la Plaza de Mayo in identifying over 135 children abducted under Argentina’s dictatorship.
• The accolade highlights the growing impact of genomic research in uniting medical advances with human rights efforts globally.