Professor Richard B. Silverman, of the Department of Chemistry, has received the 2021 Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry. The award was established in 1980 by the Executive Board of Editors and the Publisher of Tetrahedron Publications, and it aims to honor the memory of the founding co-Chairmen of these publications, Professor Sir Robert Robinson and Professor Robert Burns Woodward.
According to the Elsevier website, Silverman was selected for the award because of his contributions to the advancement of medicinal chemistry, including his discovery and development of important drugs such as Lyrica.
“I was totally surprised when I was informed that I had been selected for the 2021 Tetrahedron Prize,” said Silverman. “I have revered the past winners of this award throughout my education and professional life, and to have my name mentioned in the same sentence as many of them is an immense honor. My heartfelt thanks and admiration go to the many dedicated and brilliant students, postdocs, and collaborators, that I have had over the years that this prize now recognizes.”
Silverman is the author or co-author of more than 385 scientific publications and five books, and he is the inventor on 128 issued patents. His research is focused primarily on the design, evaluation, synthesis, and mechanism of enzyme inhibitors. Silverman received his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1968 from The Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University in 1974.
Read more about Silverman here.