Dr. Olson was chosen for his discovery of the genes that control formation of the heart, providing insight into congenital heart disease and possible diagnosis and treatment, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which administers the prize. The heart is the first organ to form and function in the embryo. Abnormalities in heart development result in congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect and the leading noninfectious cause of death in children under 1 year of age.

The Pollin Prize was created by Irene and Abe Pollin and their family of Chevy Chase, Md., and is funded by the Linda and Kenneth Pollin Foundation.

Dr. Olson directs the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Basic Research in Cancer and the Nearburg Family Center for Basic Research in Pediatric Oncology.  He holds the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Science and the Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship in Stem Cell Research. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.