Ryan Shenvi, PhD, Scripps Research chemistry professor, has been awarded the 2024 Mukaiyama Award from the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan. Shenvi is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to synthetic organic chemistry, notably in complex synthesis.
The society began granting these awards in 2005 to commemorate the 77th birthday of the late organic chemist Teruaki Mukaiyama. Mukaiyama received the prestigious Order of Culture in 1997 from the Japanese government for his groundbreaking contributions to the field, and he was later elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2004.
The Mukaiyama Awards are granted to chemists under 45 who have considerably shaped the synthetic organic chemistry world. The award committee, which consists of seven members appointed by the president of the society, selects two award recipients each year. As one of the 2024 awardees, Shenvi will receive $3,000, a medallion and a certificate. He will also deliver an award lecture at the Seminar on Synthetic Organic Chemistry, taking place next year.
Shenvi is noted for his discoveries and inventions in chemical synthesis and catalysis. In his lab at Scripps Research, Shenvi has been exploring complex metabolites to understand and improve their biological properties. His group has also reported a series of base metal-catalyzed reactions including a new hydrogenation reaction that bears his name. Last year, Shenvi and his lab synthesized a psychotropic compound from a rainforest tree, which may have utility as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug.
Shenvi has received additional awards and honors for his work, including most recently the Elias J. Corey Award from the American Chemical Society and the Tetrahedron Young Investigator Award from Elsevier.