Bioconjugate Chemistry / PMSE Young Investigator Lectureship Award
The Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship Award recognizes an outstanding researcher who has made a major impact working at the interface between the biological and human-made worlds.
2025 Award Winner
The Bioconjugate Chemistry Young Investigator Award, established in 2023*, recognizes an outstanding young researcher who has made a major impact at the interface of synthetic and biological systems. Bioconjugate Chemistry is a peer reviewed journal published by the American Chemical Society. Since 2018, the award has been cosponsored by Bioconjugate Chemistry and PMSE. This year’s recipient is Professor Han Xiao from Rice University.
Professor Han Xiao
Rice University
Han Xiao is the Founder and Director of the SynthX Center and an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biosciences, and Bioengineering at Rice University. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry and an Honors Degree in Physical Science from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2010. He then pursued his Ph.D. at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) under Prof. Peter G. Schultz, where he expanded the genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids (ncAAs) in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems to advance cancer therapeutics. In 2015, Han joined Prof. Carolyn R. Bertozzi’s lab at Stanford University as a Good Ventures Postdoctoral Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. His postdoctoral research focused on developing novel cancer immunotherapies targeting cell-surface glycan-mediated immune modulation. Han began his independent research at Rice University in July 2017, where his lab focuses on developing innovative chemical biology tools to probe complex biological systems and pioneer new therapeutic strategies. His contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award (DoD, Level 2), Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (NIH), Norman Hackerman-Welch Young Investigator Award, and CPRIT Faculty Recruitment Award.
The award will be presented at the ACS Fall Meeting in Wasington, DC, from August 17-21, 2025. Professor Xiao will be presenting a lecture as part of the Bioconjugate Chemistry Young Investigator Symposium at the meeting, along with other prominent researchers in the field. Please check the conference program when finalized to verify time and location.
*The Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship Award was established in 2016 with the goal of honoring the contributions of an individual who had made a major impact at the interface of synthetic and biological systems. In 2023, this award was changed to the Bioconjugate Chemistry/PMSE Young Investigators Award to narrow its focus down to young investigators.
Sponsored By
Award Details
This award consists of a $3000 prize, a plaque, registration and $1500 maximum travel allowance to attend the Fall ACS National Meeting for the award presentation and to give a lecture at the “Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship and Award Symposium.” The winner is also expected to submit a review or topical review to Bioconjugate Chemistry, which will be subjected to peer review.
History*
This award was established by Bioconjugate Chemistry in 2016 and managed by the ACS Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry until 2018. It was changed in 2023 to the Bioconjugate Chemistry Young Investigator Award.
Nominations
Nomination packages should follow package submission guidelines detailed below.
The selection will be made by a five-member committee consisting of three individuals selected by the Editor-in-Chief of Bioconjugate Chemistry and two selected by the Chair of the PMSE Division.
Past Recipients
Award and Nomination Summary
Purpose
Bioconjugate Chemistry and the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering present the Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship Award, which recognizes the contributions of an individual who has made a major impact working at the interface between the synthetic and biological worlds.
Rules of Eligibility
Nominees should be established researchers with documented impact to chemistry, polymers, or engineering at the synthetic and biological interface.
Nominations Process
Nominations are to be submitted to Vincent M. Rotello through a web form that will be advertised on the homepage. See ACS Publications Awards website for nomination details and deadlines.
The nomination should be submitted as a single pdf file consisting of the following items: (1) a nomination letter that succinctly describes the impact of the individual’s research accomplishments, (2) a second letter from another individual who is familiar with the nominees works, (3) a five-page CV that should include: education, appointments, honors & awards, and a list of up to 25 relevant publications and (4) a tentative lecture title and abstract (300 words or less).
Award Selection
The selection will be made by a five-member committee consisting of three individuals selected by the Editor-in-Chief of Bioconjugate Chemistry and two selected by the Chair of the PMSE Division.
Award Announcement and Nature
Awardees are selected and announced in April of the calendar year. An interview is generally conducted with ACS Axial and released as part of the announcement package.
This award consists of a $3000 prize, a plaque, registration costs, and $1500 maximum travel allowance to attend the Fall ACS National Meeting for the award presentation and to give a lecture at the “Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship and Award Symposium.” The winner is also expected to submit a review or topical review to Bioconjugate Chemistry, which will be subjected to peer review.
The winner is also expected to submit a review or topical review to Bioconjugate Chemistry, which will be subjected to peer review. Awards are given during ACS National Meetings at the PMSE and POLY evening reception.
About Our Sponsor
Bioconjugate Chemistry in an ACS Transformative Journal that started publication in 1990, publishing original contributions on all research at the interface between man-made and biological materials. The mission of the journal is to communicate to advances in fields including therapeutic delivery, imaging, bionanotechnology, and synthetic biology. Bioconjugate Chemistry is intended to provide a forum for presentation of research relevant to all aspects of bioconjugates, including the preparation, properties and applications of biomolecular conjugates.
Full List of Award Winners
| Year | Winner | University | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Han Xiao | Rice University | TBA |
| 2024 | Abhishek Chatterjee | Boston College | Announcement Link |
| 2023 | Dr. Jean-Christophe Leroux | ETH Zurich | Interview at ACS Axial |
| 2022 | Neal K. Devaraj | University of California, San Diego | Interview at ACS Axial |
| 2021 | Chunying Chen | National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of China | Announcment Link |
| 2020 | Jason Lewis | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Announcment Link |
| 2019 | Heather Maynard | University of California, Los Angeles | Announcment Link |
| 2018 | Wolfgang J. Parak | University of Hamburg | Announcment Link |
| 2017 | Matthew Francis | University of California, Berkeley | Announcment Link |
| 2016 | Xiaoyuan (Shawn) Chen | National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH | Announcment Link |