Avantor congratulates Nobel Laureate Signature Award winners for Graduate Education in Chemistry

Avantor Performance Materials has congratulated Dr. Livia S. Eberlin of Stanford University and her preceptor Dr. R. Graham Cooks of Purdue University, winners of the 2014 Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry.

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

Dr. Nandu Deorkar, Avantor VP of research and development, presented the awards in Dallas, US, on 18 March 2014 during the annual ceremony at the 247th 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.

Recognising 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 recognised as well.

Eberlin and Cooks won the award because of their pioneering studies on tissue imaging by DESI (desorption electrospray ionsation) mass spectrometry for cancer detection and biological sample analysis that can identify healthy tissue from diseased tissue without interfering with surgical workflow — essentially helping surgeons to quickly determine the margins of a tumor.

“Avantor is proud to recognise the work of individuals like Dr. Eberlin and Dr. Cooks,” Deorkar said. “We are pleased to honour their innovative use of chemistry to drive medical research

and technology and improve the lives of others.”Eberlin, who is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate at Stanford University, earned her Doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University in 2012. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil in 2007.

Cooks is the Henry Bohn Hass Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Purdue University. He earned a Doctorate in 1965 from the University of Natal in South Africa, where he also completed his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees. He earned an additional Doctorate in 1967 from Cambridge University.

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 (£1,790/€2,194) 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.        

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