An Indian-American professor is all set to receive the highest science award of the US from the President Barack Obama at the White House Ceremony. Dr Rakesh K Jain is the 65 year old professor at the Harvard Medical School to receive this honor for his work in the development of the fields of science and technology, said an announcement from the White House.

Dr Jain studied at IIT Kanpur and later moved to US. He works as a professor of tumor biology at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Harvard Medical School. He will receive the honor of the National Medal of Science during a White House ceremony that would happen in early 2016.

The professor is one of the nine members who were selected for the National Medal of Science. Out of them, eight of them were selected for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

President Obama said, "Science and technology are fundamental to solving some of our Nation's biggest challenges. The knowledge produced by these Americans today will carry our country's legacy of innovation forward and continue to help countless others around the world. Their work is a testament to American ingenuity."

Besides the National Medal of Science, Dr Jain bagged many awards for his tumor biology research. In 1972, he finished his BTech degree at IIT-Kanpur in Chemical Engineering. His research focused on the link between tumor blood vessels and improving the effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

-Sumana