BY MEGAN KALOMIRIS
Stanford chemistry Professor Carolyn Bertozzi has been jointly awarded the 2022 Wolf Prize in Chemistry for creating a new biochemical field of study and contributing to the understanding of the glycocalyx, a network of cellular molecules important to health and disease.
Awarded since 1978, the Wolf Prize is an international award given by the Wolf Foundation. It recognizes “outstanding scientists and artists from around the world … for achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples.” Categories of the prize include medicine, agriculture, mathematics, chemistry, physics, painting and sculpting, music and architecture. The prize in each field consists of a certificate and a monetary award of $100,000.
“Carolyn Bertozzi is a unique figure in chemical science who works at the interface with biology. Her work defines chemical biology as a field,” said Steven Boxer, the Camille Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry. “Her insights into the many roles of sugars on cell surfaces and the development of methods to modify them have transformed our understanding of cell biology. These insights are leading directly to novel therapeutic opportunities.”