Carolyn Bertozzi, the 2022 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, has been named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the highest honor the society gives, and it recognizes scientists for the significant contributions they have made in their respective fields. Bertozzi is honored for her invention of bioorthogonal chemistry, which allows chemical reactions to be performed in living systems.
Bertozzi is the Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Radiology at Stanford University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1993. After completing postdoctoral work at UCSF in the field of cellular immunology, she joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1996. In June 2015, she joined the faculty at Stanford University and became the co-director and Institute Scholar at Sarafan ChEM-H.
Professor Bertozzi's research interests span the disciplines of chemistry and biology with an emphasis on studies of cell surface glycosylation pertinent to disease states. Her lab focuses on profiling changes in cell surface glycosylation associated with cancer, inflammation, and bacterial infection, and exploiting this information for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, most recently in the area of immunooncology.
Professor Bertozzi has been recognised with many honours and awards for both her research and teaching accomplishments. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
In addition to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, other awards of note include Lemelson-MIT award for inventors, Whistler Award, Ernst Schering Prize, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry, Tetrahedron Young Investigator Award, and Irving Sigal Young Investigator Award of the Protein Society.
Her efforts in undergraduate education have earned her the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award and the Donald Sterling Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Dr Annette Doherty, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, congratulated the new cohort, saying: “The title of Honorary Fellow is among the Royal Society of Chemistry’s highest distinctions, celebrating individuals whose contributions have profoundly shaped our discipline and amplified its impact across society.
“This year, we are proud to recognise seven outstanding scientists whose work spans continents and transforms lives. Three of those honoured this year are Nobel Prize winners whose work stands right at the cutting edge.
“Professor Sir David MacMillan’s research in organocatalysis has revolutionised synthetic chemistry, Professor Carolyn R. Bertozzi’s invention of bioorthogonal chemistry has transformed how chemistry is performed in living systems, and Sir Demis Hassabis’s leadership in artificial intelligence has unlocked new frontiers in protein structure prediction and molecular science.
“We are equally proud to honour four outstanding scientists whose leadership, creativity, and dedication have delivered transformative advances for chemistry and for society worldwide.
“Professor Kelly Chibale has shown exceptional leadership in medicinal chemistry and in building scientific capacity across Africa, and Professor Jane Catherine Ngila has advanced environmental chemistry and championed women in STEM, driving progress and equity across the continent.
“Meanwhile, Professor Dame Clare Grey’s ground-breaking research in energy storage is helping to enable a sustainable future, while Professor Dame Margaret Brimble is a pioneer in natural products and medicinal chemistry whose discoveries have advanced drug development worldwide.
“World-class science requires a global effort, and the achievements of these seven individuals reflect the extraordinary diversity of ideas from across our community and the impact that defines our field. I warmly congratulate each of them on joining the ranks of our Honorary Fellows, and I look forward to the inspiration their work will continue to provide for generations to come.”
Based in London, the Royal Society of Chemistry was chartered 175 years ago under Queen Victoria. The Society has been awarding special honorary Fellowships since 1980. Today, its mission is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences.
Click here for the full announcement on the honorees from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
This story was originally published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.