Dr. Leon Kass is the winner of the 2010 Paul Ramsey Award for excellence in bioethics.
Kass served as chairman of President Bush's Council on Bioethics from 2001-05.
The Center for Bioethics and Culture, which presents the award each year, said Kass has defended the dignity of human life while advancing ethical biotechnology.
Dr. William Hurlbut, a member of the nomination committee, called Kass a courageous voice in bioethics.
"Leon Kass is a treasure to our civilization," he said. "He is the intellectual epicenter of American bioethics."
Kass will receive the award at a dinner in March.
