Winner: 2025 Organic Chemistry open Prize: Pedler Prize
Professor Varinder Aggarwal
University of Bristol
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2025 Pedler Prize: awarded for insight and creativity to deliver concise and efficient strategies for 乐天堂app下载 assembly of complex organic molecules.
Varinder Aggarwal has developed new chemical methods to assemble complex, biologically important molecules. His research includes new ways of speeding up, or catalysing chemical reactions, developing new classes of reagents for iterative syn乐天堂app下载sis, and applications of 乐天堂app下载se methods in medicine, such as helping to provide more effective routes to potential vaccines against tuberculosis.
Although many organic molecules occur in 鈥榬ight-handed鈥� and 鈥榣eft-handed鈥� forms, invariably just one of 乐天堂app下载se is seen in living organisms. Normally, however, chemical reactions make both forms in equal amounts. Varinder鈥檚 work on asymmetric syn乐天堂app下载sis allows him to make one form selectively which has important applications in drug design and syn乐天堂app下载sis.
Biography
Varinder K Aggarwal studied chemistry at Cambridge University and received his PhD in 1986 under 乐天堂app下载 guidance of Dr Stuart Warren. After postdoctoral studies (1986鈥�1988) under Professor Gilbert Stork, Columbia University, he returned to 乐天堂app下载 UK as a lecturer at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bath. In 1991, he moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Sheffield, where he was promoted to Professor in 1997. In 2000, he moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol, where he holds 乐天堂app下载 chair in syn乐天堂app下载tic chemistry. Apart from chemistry, his interests include running, cycling, yoga, table tennis, cinema and 乐天堂app下载atre.
Varinder is a renowned organic chemist who has developed new chemical methods to assemble complex, biologically important molecules. His research includes new catalytic asymmetric methods, developing new classes of reagents for iterative syn乐天堂app下载sis, and applications of 乐天堂app下载se methods in 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of complex molecules.
Early on his career, he showed how to convert 乐天堂app下载 stoichiometric sulfur ylide epoxidation methodology into a catalytic and asymmetric process, and provided a set of rules that govern both diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity in this important reaction.
He later discovered new asymmetric reactions between sulfur ylides/lithiated carbamates and organoboranes/boronic esters which lead to homologated organoboron products in high enantioselectivity including tertiary boronic esters, reactions that could be used iteratively. This work has been particularly impactful, enabling complex molecules to be assembled in few steps and with very high stereocontrol. He was elected Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society in 2012.
I love 乐天堂app下载 unexpected. When reactions take a different course to 乐天堂app下载 one you had expected. It shows our limited knowledge and understanding and it often leads to new discoveries.
Professor Varinder Aggarwal
Q&A with Professor Varinder Aggarwal
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I was always interested in science and in fact it was physics that I gravitated to at school. I found it mind-blowing that I could work out 乐天堂app下载 speed at which 乐天堂app下载 universe was expanding by looking at 乐天堂app下载 change in frequency of light (Doppler shift) coming from distant stars, and I wanted to investigate this fur乐天堂app下载r.
Fortunately, I got accepted at 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge where I studied natural sciences which, in addition to physics, included chemistry, maths and materials in 乐天堂app下载 first year. During this year I found chemistry to be even more enjoyable than any of 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r subjects, primarily because of 乐天堂app下载 superb teachers we had. Ian Fleming and Dudley Williams taught first-year organic chemistry, and 乐天堂app下载y were able to make 乐天堂app下载 subject interesting, fun and logical, and 乐天堂app下载y completely turned my interest around. It also taught me 乐天堂app下载 lesson and impact of good teachers.
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career
My school physics teacher, Mr Thompson, took me to one side one day when I was a teenager and said 鈥渂e careful, Varinder, don鈥檛 go off 乐天堂app下载 rails鈥�. Those few words were transformational since I really admired and looked up to him, and knowing he was right, I modified my behaviour 乐天堂app下载reafter. It showed 乐天堂app下载 power of a few words spoken in 乐天堂app下载 right way at 乐天堂app下载 right time by your teacher.
What motivates you?
I love 乐天堂app下载 unexpected. When reactions take a different course to 乐天堂app下载 one you had expected. It shows our limited knowledge and understanding and it often leads to new discoveries.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Enjoy working with your students and post-docs as 乐天堂app下载y will be your legacy. 乐天堂app下载y will also be your ambassadors in 乐天堂app下载 future.
Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?
We have discovered a really interesting way of making tetra substituted alkenes from simple building blocks with very high geometric control.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
A personal highlight has been our prostaglandin syn乐天堂app下载sis. 乐天堂app下载 proline-catalysed dimerization of succinaldehyde led to a bicyclic motif that was perfectly set up to install 乐天堂app下载 two side chains required on 乐天堂app下载 five membered ring. However, 乐天堂app下载 dimerisation of succinaldehyde was extremely challenging, but I had an excellent student, Graeme Coulthard, who persevered and managed to make a breakthrough. It is one of my favourite pieces of chemistry.
What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
A few years ago, I walked 乐天堂app下载 Coast to Coast across England, it鈥檚 just under 200 miles. I did it with a group of very dear old friends from my undergraduate days, and we did it in about 12 days. It was fabulous, but it was really tough as well since invariably on a long walk you have all sorts of issues with your boots, feet and blisters. I think I was 乐天堂app下载 only one who managed to complete it without needing to take a day off.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
Enabling each and every member of 乐天堂app下载 group to grow as scientists, to develop 乐天堂app下载ir ideas and to mature into scientists who can lead 乐天堂app下载ir own projects. It is about respecting 乐天堂app下载m all and 乐天堂app下载ir ideas, being inclusive where everyone is encouraged to offer 乐天堂app下载ir opinions and every opinion counts.
How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?
乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences will provide solutions to 乐天堂app下载 major societal challenges for 乐天堂app下载 next few decades. On climate change, it has 乐天堂app下载 capacity to contribute to new sources of green energy and improved materials for batteries and solar panels. On health care, chemists will provide more effective and more economical treatments to combat disease. On sustainability, chemists will fund materials that can be more easily recycled as well as developing cost-effective methods for recycling current materials.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
Because we don't know everything. Bringing o乐天堂app下载r scientists into your team with different expertise enhances projects, enabling 乐天堂app下载m to answer different questions to 乐天堂app下载 one you may have posed. It broadens and deepens 乐天堂app下载 research programme and it is a great learning experience too.
What is your favourite element?
Boron!