Scientists Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire, along with Katherine High, won the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for developing Luxturna, the first approved gene therapy for blindness caused by Leber congenital amaurosis. Patients in clinical trials reported profound improvements in vision, including one who saw their child's face for the first time. The prize is sometimes called 'the Oscar of science' — Bennett warned during her acceptance speech that US administration attacks on science funding and dismissal of experts could cause long-term damage to American research capacity and trigger a brain drain of scientists to other countries.