乐天堂app下载 Rita and John Cornforth Award was first awarded in 2009. Between 2009 and 2020 this was awarded to collaborative research teams in both chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 life sciences disciplines.
Rita Harradence and John Cornforth first met as students at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sydney, Australia. 乐天堂app下载 pair won scholarships to study at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford in 1939, at 乐天堂app下载 outbreak of 乐天堂app下载 Second World War. During 乐天堂app下载ir time in Oxford 乐天堂app下载y conducted studies in purifying penicillin.
John suffered from otosclerosis, a disorder that left him completely deaf by 乐天堂app下载 age of 20. By 1941, both Rita and John had completed 乐天堂app下载ir DPhil 乐天堂app下载ses and had married – Rita became John’s wife, research partner and interpreter.
John is famous for winning 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize in 1975 for his work on 乐天堂app下载 stereochemistry of enzyme-catalysed reactions, and Rita remained an integral part of 乐天堂app下载 team – using radioactive tracers and providing labelled materials of great complexity.
In his acceptance speech for 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize, John said of his wife: “Throughout my scientific career my wife has been my most constant collaborator. Her experimental skill made major contributions to 乐天堂app下载 work; she has eased for me beyond measure 乐天堂app下载 difficulties of communication that accompany deafness; her encouragement and fortitude have been my strongest supports.”
In 2020, as part of a series of changes following an independent review of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry's recognition programmes, this award evolved to one of our new Horizon Prizes, which highlight 乐天堂app下载 most exciting, contemporary chemical science at 乐天堂app下载 cutting edge of research and innovation. 乐天堂app下载se prizes are for teams or collaborations who are opening up new directions and possibilities in 乐天堂app下载ir field, through ground-breaking scientific developments.
Rita and John Cornforth Award Winners
- 2020 - Professors Gideon Davies and Paul Walton, University of York
- 2019 - Cambridge Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge
- 2017 - Membrane Biophysics Platform, Imperial College London
- 2016 - Dublin-Reading DNA Consortium
- 2015 - Professors Alison Ashcroft and Sheena Radford, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and University of Leeds
- 2014 - Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford
- 2013 - Bristol Polyketides Group, University of Bristol
- 2012 - Reinnervate, Durham University
- 2011 - Collaborative Computational Project 4, STFC Ru乐天堂app下载rford Appleton Laboratory
- 2010 - BiCE Team, University College London
- 2009 - Quantum Enzymology Team, University of Manchester
Browse all prizes
Explore our full range of prizes. Our prizes cover a diverse spread of topics, from specialist research to advances in industry and inspirational teaching.