Protein Society Awards

TPS awards recognize excellence across the diverse disciplines that collectively advance our understanding of proteins; their structure, function, design, and application. The Awards honor researchers who have distinguished themselves with significant achievements in protein research and those who have made outstanding contributions in leadership, teaching, and service. TPS members and non-members may submit nominations, which are awarded by Executive Council, and recipients are honored at the Annual Symposium.

Membership is not required to submit a nomination. The 2025 Awards nominations deadline is Nov. 1, 2024. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2024 PROTEIN SOCIETY AWARD WINNERS

Gonen   Kelleher   Sunde

The Carl Brändén Award, sponsored by Rigaku Corporation, honors an outstanding protein scientist who has also made exceptional contributions in the areas of education and/or service to the field. The 2024 recipient of this award is Professor Tamir Gonen (University of California, Los Angeles). Dr. Gonen’s research focuses on the study of membrane proteins and the development of novel structural biology methods, particularly microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). He has led training for thousands of protein biochemists and structural biologists worldwide in the use of this powerful technique.

Specific Requirement: Sustained, high-impact research contributions to the field and additional contributions to education/service.

 

The Christian B. Anfinsen Award, sponsored by The Protein Society, recognizes technological achievement or significant methodological advances in the field of protein science. The 2024 recipient of this award is Professor Neil Kelleher (Northwestern University). Dr. Kelleher has made seminal contributions in the field of top-down proteomics. His life’s work in proteomics promises to yield far-reaching and revolutionary impacts across biological sciences and medicine.

Specific Requirement: Technological achievement or significant methodological advances.

 

The Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award, sponsored by Rigaku Corporation, is granted in recognition of exceptional contributions in protein science which profoundly influence our understanding of biology. The 2024 recipient is Professor Margaret Sunde (University of Sydney). Dr. Sunde is renowned for her pioneering studies of the structure and function of biological assemblies known as amyloid. Her seminal contributions have illuminated our understanding of pathogenic or beneficial roles of these common, yet structurally and functionally diverse assemblies.

Specific Requirement: Profound influence on our understanding of biology.

Previous Recipients
2023 - Arthur Lesk; 2022 - David Goodsell; 2021 - Sheila Jaswal; 2020 - Karen Fleming; 2019 - Minoru Kanehisa; 2018 - Jane and Dave Richardson; 2017 - Billy Hudson; 2016 - Gary Pielak; 2015 - C. Robert Matthews; 2014 - Stephen White; 2013 - Sheena Radford; 2012 - Helen Berman; 2011 - Michael Summers; 2010 - Nobuhiro Go; 2009 - Bruce Alberts; 2008 - Howard Schachman; 2007 - Lubert Stryer

 

Previous Recipients
2023 - Mei Hong; 2022 - Jin Zhang; 2021 - Petra Fromme; 2020 - Stephen Sligar; 2019 - Anthony Kossiakoff; 2018 - Yifan Cheng; 2017 - Lewis Kay; 2016 - Andreas Pluckthun; 2015 - Sachdev Sidhu; 2014 - Robert Tycko; 2013 - Tom Alber; 2012 - Barry Honig; 2011 - Wayne Bolen; 2010 - Yoshinori Fujiyoshi; 2009 - Wayne Hubbell; 2008 - Carol Robinson;2007 - Carl Frieden; 2006 - John R. Yates, III; 2005 - Matthias Mann; 2004 - Meir Wilchek; 2003 - Ada Yonath; 2002 - Roger Tsien; 2001 - Martin Karplus; 2000 - Stephen Benkovic; 1999 - Alan Fersht; 1998 - James Wells; 1997 - Wayne Hendrickson; 1996 - Donald Hunt

 

Previous Recipients
2023 - Patricia Clark; 2022 - Sun Hur; 2021 - Janet Smith; 2020 - Catherine Drennan; 2019 - Hao Wu; 2018 - Susan Marqusee; 2017 - Juli Feigon and Manajit Hayer-Hartl; 2016 - Rachel Klevit; 2015 - Eva Nogales; 2014 - Judith Frydman; 2013 - Christopher Hill and Cynthia Wolberger; 2012 - Mark Lemmon; 2011 - Brenda Schulman and Wei Yang; 2010 - Lila Gierasch; 2009 - Janet Thornton; 2008 - Douglas Rees; 2007 - Leemor Joshua-Tor

Craik   cortez   Newton
The Emil Thomas Kaiser Award, sponsored by generous individual contributions, recognizes a recent, highly significant contribution to the application of chemistry in the study of proteins. The 2024 recipient is Professor David Craik (The University of Queensland). Dr. Craik is recognized for his pioneering work on ‘cyclotides’. He established a world-leading research program that has led to the discovery, structural characterization, and applications of these novel peptides.

Specific Requirement: Application of chemistry to the study of proteins.
 

The Hans Neurath Award, sponsored by the Hans Neurath Foundation, honors individuals who have made a recent contribution of exceptional merit to basic protein research. The 2024 recipient is Professor David Cortez (Vanderbilt University). Dr Cortez is a world-renowned leader in the area of DNA damage response and repair mechanisms and the pathophysiology of cancer, where he has developed and applied very creative technological approaches to identify and characterize proteins involved in DNA and genome maintenance.  

Specific Requirement: A recent contribution of unusual merit to basic protein science.

  The Marie Maynard Daly Award, the newest award sponsored by The Protein Society, recognizes groundbreaking research at the interface between protein science and human health. The 2024 recipient is Professor Alexandra C. Newton (University of California, San Diego). Dr. Newton has made ground-breaking discoveries about the structure and function of protein kinase C and paradigm-changing understanding of how disease mutations in this enzyme drive cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Specific Requirement: Groundbreaking research at the interface between protein science and human health

Previous Recipients
2023 - Jason Gestwicki; 2022 - Phillip Kukura; 2021 - Lei Wang; 2020 - Shuguang Zhang; 2019 - Shahriar Mobashery; 2018 - Michael Rosen; 2017- Thomas Muir; 2016 - Charles Craik; 2015 - Anna Mapp; 2014 - Carol Fierke; 2013 - Wilfred van der Donk; 2012 - No Award Given This Year; 2011 - Jeffery Kelly; 2010 - Suzanne Walker; 2009 - Donald Hilvert; 2008 - JoAnne Stubbe; 2007 - Michael Marletta; 2006 - Barbara Imperiali

Previous recipients, sponsored by SynPep Corporation, include:
2005 - Ronald Raines; 2004 - Homme Hellinga; 2003 - Michael Hecht; 2002 - Steve Kent

 

Previous Recipients
2023 - Elena Conti; 2022 - Squire Booker; 2021 - Toshiya Endo and Amy Rosenzweig; 2020 - Martin Gruebele; 2019 - Dave Thirumalai; 2018 - David Baker; 2017 - Kazuhiro Nagata; 2016 - H. Eric Xu; 2015 - Marina Rodnina; 2014 - James Hurley; 2013 - Jennifer Doudna and Chuck Sanders; 2012 - Charles Brooks; 2011 - Johannes Buchner; 2010 - Wendell Lim; 2009 - William Eaton; 2008 - Robert Stroud; 2007 - Robert Sauer; 2006 - Christopher Dobson; 2005 - Roderick MacKinnon; 2004 - Carlos Bustamante; 2003 - James Wells;  2002 - Ad Bax; 2001 - Arthur Horwich; 2000 - Janet Thornton; 1999 - Peter Kim; 1998 - Ken Dill

  Previous Recipients
2023 - Renã Robinson
kelly   schlau-cohen    

The Stein & Moore Award, sponsored by The Protein Society and with support from Wiley, is named for Nobel laureates Dr. William Stein and Dr. Stanford Moore. The award recognizes eminent leaders in protein science who have made sustained, high-impact research contributions to the field. The 2024 recipient is Professor Jeffery W. Kelly (The Scripps Research Institute). Dr. Kelly has made major contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms of peptide and protein folding and misfolding, culminating in his development of new treatments for amyloid diseases, with very important implications for basic science and human health.

Specific Requirement: Sustained, high-impact research contributions to the field.

 

The Protein Science Young Investigator Award, sponsored by Wiley, recognizes scientists within their first 8 years of an independent career at the time of nomination who have made an important contribution to the study of proteins. The 2024 recipient is Professor Gabriela Schlau-Cohen (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Dr. Schlau-Cohen's innovative and multidisciplinary developments and applications of spectroscopic methods have led to a widespread understanding of fundamental biological processes such as photosynthesis and signal transduction by membrane protein receptors.


Specific Requirement: Within 8 years of starting an independent career.

   

Previous Recipients
2023 - Kevin Gardner; 2022 - Daniel Herschlag; 2021 - David Agard; 2020 - Jim Bowie; 2019 - Dame Carol Robinson; 2018 - Raymond Stevens; 2017 - John Kuriyan; 2016 - Jane Clarke; 2015 - William DeGrado; 2014 - Nikolaus Pfanner; 2013 - Robert T. Sauer; 2012 - No Award Given This Year; 2011 - Gerhard Wagner; 2010 - Peter Wright; 2009 - Peter Walter; 2008 - Susan Lindquist; 2007 - Paul Schimmel; 2006 - Arthur Horwich & F. Ulrich Hartl; 2005 - Avram Hershko & Alexander Varshavsky; 2004 - Wolfgang Baumeister; 2003 - Chris Dobson; 2002 - Paul Sigler; 2001 - Alan Fersht; 2000 - Brian Matthews; 1999 - Mo Cleland; 1998 - David Davies; 1997 - Mildred Cohn; 1996 - David Eisenberg; 1995 - Harold Scheraga; 1994 - Michael Rossman; 1993 - Walter Kauzmann; 1992 - Robert Baldwin; 1991 - Russell Doolittle; 1990 - Kurt Wuthrich; 1989 - Hans Neurath; 1988 - Fred Richards; 1987 - Emil Smith

 

Previous Recipients
2023 - Polly Fordyce; 2022 - Nozomi Ando and Nicolas Fawzi; 2021 - Bruno Correia; 2020 - Mohammad Seyedsayamdost; 2019 - Gabriel Lander; 2018 - Brandon Ruotolo; 2017 - David Pagliarini; 2016 - Benjamin Garcia; 2015 - Nieng Yan; 2014 - M. Madan Babu; 2012 - Mei Hong and Tarun M. Kapoor; 2011 - Shu-ou Shan; 2013 - Feng Shao; 2010 - Charalampos Kalodimos; 2009 - Virginia Cornish; 2008 - Jamie H. Doudna Cate; 2007 - Benjamin Cravatt, III; 2006 - Vijay Pande; 2005 - Thomas Muir; 2004 - Erin O'Shea and Jonathan Weissman; 2003 - Yigong Shi; 2002 - Carolyn Bertozzi; 2001 - Kevan Shokat; 2000 - David Baker; 1999 - Jeffery Kelly; 1998 - Nikola Pavletich; 1997 - John Kuriyan; 1996 - Michael Summers; 1995 - Stuart Schreiber; 1994 - Peter Kim; 1993 - Ad Bax and Marius Clore; 1992 - Peter Schultz; 1991 - Carl Pabo; 1990 - Rachel Klevit; 1989 - William DeGrado