International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) has awarded Phil Baran, PhD, the 2022 Danisco Foundation Science Excellence Award. The annual award recognizes excellence in advancing science and technology relevant to the future of food, nutrition, and health. The award was presented to Baran on September 20 at the Danisco Foundation Science Awards, a special ceremony hosted by IFF scientists to honor this year’s awardees.   

The Darlene Shiley Chair in Chemistry, Baran explores ways to circumvent the bottlenecks of sustainable, scalable production that allow natural organic molecules to be transformed into viable therapies. The chemical products developed in his lab have shown major utility as antibacterial or antiviral agents, as well as in vascular disorders, such as macular degeneration. In addition to medicines, the breakthroughs in chemical synthesis by the Baran lab have helped minimize the environmental impact of producing a wide range of useful industrial materials. 

Baran is the recipient of a notable list of awards and honors that recognize the impact of his research. These include the Manchot Research Professorship Award, the Emanuel Merck Lectureship, the ACS Elias J. Corey Award and the Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemistry Award. Baran is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.