Tom Maimone, Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded the 2026 A.R. Katritzky Junior Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry. Professor Maimone will be given the award during a lecture presentation at the 30th International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry Congress in the summer of this year in São Carlos, Brazil.
This award is a result of Professor Maimone’s contributions to the area of synthetic heterocyclic chemistry–the science of building molecules that contain rings made of carbon and other elements (like nitrogen or oxygen). In particular, his group has developed novel synthetic pathways, or new chemical routes that create a specific molecule, to a number of heterocyclic natural products with unusual structural topologies and interesting medicinal properties.
In short, this award recognizes the professor's skill in “molecular architecture” within the world of heterocycles, the backbone of most modern medicines. His team invents new construction methods to build rare substances found in nature that hold significant promise for treating diseases, making this work a vital bridge between pure chemistry and medical breakthroughs.
About the award
The A. R. Katritzky Junior Award is given to scientists, 45 years of age or younger, whose research has had a significant impact on heterocyclic chemistry. Past recipients are listed on the ISHC website. The International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry was informally established by Raymond Castle in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1967. The Society was formally established in 1971 and Castle was the organization's first president.