In recognition for developing activity-based protein profiling and advancing covalent drug discovery, Professor Benjamin Cravatt, PhD, the Norton B. Gilula Chair in Biology and Chemistry at Scripps Research, has been awarded the 2025 William H. Nichols Medal by the New York Local Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The William H. Nichols Medal honors contributions in chemistry and encourages original research in the field. The first award authorized by ACS, it has been presented to recipients annually since 1903. Past winners include 20 Nobel laureates and 33 National Medal of Science recipients.

Among Cravatt’s notable contributions, activity-based protein profiling enables the measurement of activity and drug interactions of proteins on a global scale. This method has led to the development of new drug candidates that are in clinical trials to treat a range of conditions, from neurological disorders to certain forms of cancer. At Scripps Research, his research has creatively bridged the gap between the fields of chemistry and biology to help address challenges in biomedicine and led to the discovery of new enzymatic pathways that are altered in human disease.

Cravatt has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, and elections to the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences. He has also cofounded several biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies, including Abide Therapeutics, acquired by Lundbeck in 2019, and Vividion Therapeutics, acquired by Bayer in 2021.

Cravatt will give a lecture titled, “Activity-Based Protein Profiling – Target and Ligand Discovery on a Global Scale” before being presented with the medal during the William H. Nichols Distinguished Symposium and Medal Presentation Ceremony on April 11, 2025, in New York City.