Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award: Geert-Jan Boons

Citation: For seminal contributions to glycoscience by developing novel methods for oligosaccharide assembly, preparation of important glycoconjugates, and their use in biological studies.

Current position: UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia; professor and chair, department of medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, Utrecht University

Education: B.S. and M.Sc., chemistry, Ph.D., synthetic carbohydrate chemistry, Leiden University

Boons on his biggest research challenge: “Design, synthesis, and immunological evaluation of a multicomponent vaccine that could break immunotolerance to a tumor-associated glycopeptide epitope and elicit innate, cellular, and humoral immune responses. The ultimate aim of this program is to develop a therapeutic vaccine for cancer based on a type of glycosylation uniquely found on cancer cells.”

What his colleagues say:“Dr. Boons’s prolific contributions to glycoscience have earned him a highly respected international reputation as a leader in the field. The high research productivity of Dr. Boons is matched by his ability to train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.”—Paul Schleyer, University of Georgia