Past Award Recipients

2023

Jacqueline K. Barton

California Institute of Technology

For ground-breaking work on the use of inorganic coordination complexes to target local DNA structures and to study charge transport through DNA.
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2021

Chi-Huey Wong

The Scripps Research Institute

For contributions to the synthesis of complex carbohydrates using enzymatic catalysis and applications in glycobiology.
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2020

Steven L. McKnight

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

For original contributions that identified the regulatory regions of eukaryotic genes, the transcription factors in oxygen sensing, and the role of low complexity sequences in proteins that form functional and reversible aggregates in phase-separated hydrogels.
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2018

Adriaan Bax

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

For contributions to transforming NMR spectroscopy for the study of the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules.
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2017

John B. Goodenough

The University of Texas at Austin

For innovative contributions to materials science and technology, in particular developing the cathode material for the lithium-ion rechargeable battery.
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2016

Richard H. Holm

Harvard University

For pioneering contributions to the role of metal ions in biology, especially the synthesis of Fe-S clusters and the establishment of the biomimetic approach in bioinorganic chemistry.
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2016

Stephen J. Lippard

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For pioneering contributions to the role of metal ions in biology, especially the cisplatin mechanism of action, diiron methane monooxygenase, and zinc signaling in the brain.
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2012

David A. Evans

Harvard University

For his contributions to organic reaction design, in particular stereocontrol in carbon-carbon bond formation, which advanced the field of complex molecule synthesis.
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2008

Alexander Rich

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For outstanding contributions to the understanding of the chemical and biochemical mechanisms in maintaining a living cell.
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2007

Noel S. Hush

University of Sydney

For fundamental work on the theory of homogeneous and heterogeneous electron transfer and contributions in the area of molecular electronics.
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2007

William H. Miller

University of California, Berkeley

For pioneering development of the modern theory of chemical reaction dynamics and rates.
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2006

Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.

University of California, Berkeley

For his consistent and highly effective use of basic chemical principles to bring to greater clarity chemical processes in complex biological systems.
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2005

George M. Whitesides

Harvard University

For the breadth and depth of his insight into chemical processes and his astute use of this understanding in approaching and solving many difficult problems in organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, material science and surface science.
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2004

Allen J. Bard

The University of Texas at Austin

For his major accomplishments in the field of electrochemistry and the effect of these on the discipline of chemistry itself.
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2003

Ronald Breslow

Columbia University

For his pioneering contributions to the field of biomimetic chemistry and catalysis by design.
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2002

Harden M. McConnell

Stanford University

For his thorough understanding of magnetic resonance and its use in achieving greater insight into chemical systems including reaction dynamics, magnetic resonance imaging and membrane phenomenon.
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2001

Roger D. Kornberg

Stanford University

For his seminal contributions in biological and structural chemistry: (1) the discovery, basic structure and function of nucleosome; (2) the discovery of the multiprotein Mediator of transcriptional regulation; and (3) the structures of the giant RNA polymerase II transcription initiation and elongation complexes.
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2000

Sir Alan R. Battersby

Cambridge University

For his work which is well described as the biosynthesis of the pigments of life. It represents one of the major and most significant enterprises in contemporary chemistry and has transformed knowledge of the biosynthesis of such vital substances as vitamin B12.
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2000

A. Ian Scott

Texas A&M University

For his great contributions to organic chemistry and biochemistry, especially the elegant use of every physical and biological tool available to solve complex structural and mechanistic problems in natural product chemistry and biosynthesis, e.g., vitamin B12. He has provided concepts and methodologies which have been fruitful to many others.
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1999

Richard N. Zare

Stanford University

For his seminal contributions in the area of chemical reaction dynamics and in the general field of molecular spectroscopy.
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1998

Pierre Chambon

College de France

For his achievements in the field of nuclear receptors which have paved the way to a molecular understanding of vertebrate fundamental processes as well as their pathological disorders.
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1997

Ahmed H. Zewail

California Institute of Technology

For his leadership and pioneering contribution to all phases of femtosecond chemistry.
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1996

Koji Nakanishi

Columbia University

For his major contribution to our greater understanding of and our capacity to use many of the bioactive compounds found in nature.
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1995

Robert H. Abeles

Brandeis University

For his contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms of catalysis by enzymes and to the rational development of compounds that inactivate enzymes.
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1994

F. Albert Cotton

Texas A&M University

For his work leading to our current understanding of multiple bonds of metal-metal bonding of transition metal chemistry and for his major impact in the field of inorganic and structural chemistry by virtue of his own work and the numerous individuals who worked in his laboratory as students or postdoctoral fellows.
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1994

Jack Halpern

The University of Chicago

For his contributions to understanding reaction mechanisms not only of inorganic chemicals but of complex organometallic reactions systems as well; also for his contributions to understanding the field of homogeneous catalysis in solution.
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1993

Gilbert Stork

Columbia University

For his work in developing new methods in organic synthesis and as a mentor to leading synthetic chemists all over the world. He has profoundly influenced the way scientists think about natural product synthesis in general and stereochemical control in particular.
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1992

Richard E. Smalley

Rice University

For his career contributions to physical chemistry, including his development and use of supersonic molecular beam techniques for the study of clusters, ions, and molecules.
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1991

Edwin G. Krebs

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington

For his part in showing that interconversion of phosphorylase between its active and inactive forms involved phosphorylation/ dephosphorylation, a process fundamental to the regulation of nearly every vital biological function.
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1991

Earl R. Stadtman

National Institutes of Health

For his work in demonstrating that covalent interconvertible enzyme cascades provide the cell with a finely-tuned regulatory mechanism capable of integrating a vast amount of metabolic information, and that they have a remarkable potential for amplification signals and rates.
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1990

William von Eggers Doering

Harvard University

For his critical contribution into fundamental aspects of physical organic chemistry. Among his many other important contributions, his work on the carbenes was a pioneering effort which opened a broad field.
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1990

John D. Roberts

California Institute of Technology

For his integration of molecular spectroscopy, quantum mechanics, kinetics and other aspects of physical chemistry with his talent for organic synthesis. In the application of these intertwined disciplines to the study of structure activities of organic molecules.
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1989

Norman R. Davidson

California Institute of Technology

For his pioneering research contributions to the understanding of the structure and function of genetic materials, especially for his novel techniques which had a powerful influence in this field.
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1988

Richard B. Bernstein

University of California, Los Angeles

For his pioneering research in chemical dynamics thereby providing a new understanding of how chemical reactions occur.
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1987

Harry G. Drickamer

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

For his research on the effects of pressure on optical, electrical magnetic and chemical properties of matter.
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1986

George C. Pimentel

University of California, Berkeley

For his contribution to the field of hydrogen bonding, matrix isolation, and chemical lasers.
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1985

Duilio Arigoni

Federal Institute of Technology

For his contributions of founding the field of bio-organic stereochemistry, which involves interaction of organic chemicals and enzymes.
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1984

Kenneth S. Pitzer

University of California, Berkeley

For his theory for the internal rotation of groups within molecules.
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1983

Henry Taube

Stanford University

For his contributions to the field of chemistry, particularly in inorganics.
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1981

Paul D. Bartlett

Texas Christian University

For his original investigations of the mechanisms of organic reactions.
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1978

E. Bright Wilson

Harvard University

For his pioneering theoretical and experimental contributions to molecular structure.
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1976

Neil Bartlett

University of California, Berkeley

For his synthesis of chemical compounds of noble gases and the consequent opening of broad new fields of research in inorganic chemistry.
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1974

Albert Eschenmoser

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

For his profound and highly creative contributions to synthetic chemistry.
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