Drs. Bryan Dickinson and Christopher Chang were presented with the prestigious award during the 244th ACS national meeting

Center Valley, PA (USA) – May 2, 2013 – Avantor™ Performance Materials congratulates Dr. Bryan Dickinson of Harvard University and his preceptor Dr. Christopher Chang of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, winners of the 2013 Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry.

The award, sponsored by Avantor and given by the American Chemical Society (ACS), recognizes an outstanding graduate or post-graduate student and his or her preceptor in the field of chemistry.

Avantor Vice President of Research and Development, Dr. Nandu Deorkar, presented the awards in New Orleans on April 8, 2013 during the annual ceremony at the 244th ACS national meeting. Avantor manufactures and markets high-performance specialty chemistries and materials around the world, providing products widely used in research, academic and quality control laboratories; biotechnology and pharmaceutical production; medical diagnostics; and electronics manufacturing.

The company established the Nobel Laureate Signature Award in 1978 to support and reward future generations of laboratory scientists and chemists who conduct groundbreaking research in chemistry.

Recognizing the importance of education, preceptorships and mentoring, the award was expanded in 1980 so the preceptor(s) of students applying for the award would be recognized as well. Dickinson and Chang won the award because of their pioneering studies involving hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in living organisms. Their research is helping to shed light on the previously unrecognized roles H2O2 may play in cell biology and cognitive function in the brain.

“Avantor is dedicated to innovation and the development of tomorrow’s scientific leaders,” said Deorkar. “As a long-time sponsor of the Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry, Avantor is proud to support research teams like Drs. Dickinson and Chang who are making significant breakthroughs in their use of chemistry.”

Dr. Bryan Dickinson, who is currently working as a Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University, earned his Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 2010. Dickinson received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2005.

Dr. Christopher Chang is a professor of chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the University of California at Berkeley. He earned his Doctorate in 2002 studying renewable energy chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from California Institute of Technology, finishing there in 1997.

Designation of the award as the Nobel Laureate Signature Award is made with the acquiescence of the Nobel Foundation. Student award honorees receive $3,000 and a plaque inscribed with the signatures of past Nobel Laureates. The student’s preceptor(s) receive $3,000 and a plaque for permanent display in their institution’s chemistry department.

For complete details or to nominate a student for the Nobel Laureate Signature Award, visit the ACS website for Signature Award Nominations.