Astellas USA Awardees Announced

ACS has announced the winners of the 2009 Astellas USA Foundation Awards. The awards recognize individuals or teams that have significantly contributed to scientific research that improves public health. Each winner will receive a $30,000 grant from the Astellas USA Foundation's award program to support their research efforts.

Frederick Khachik, a senior research scientist in the College of Chemical & Life Sciences at the University of Maryland, received an award for his research on the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of carotenoids and their metabolites from natural products and human serum and tissues.

Ka Yee C. Lee, professor of chemistry and director of the Chicago Materials Research Center at the University of Chicago, was selected for her work on the mechanisms of amyloid-β aggregation in Alzheimer's disease and the molecular processes underlying the development of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Arup K. SenGupta, professor and chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering at Lehigh University, was recognized for his contributions toward mitigating the arsenic crises around the world through application of chemistry and chemical engineering principles.