Frederic Stanley Kipping Award In Silicon Chemistry: Michael Brook

Sponsor: Dow Corning

Citation: For his creative approaches to the synthesis of siloxane materials with controlled morphology, including silica and silicones, and the application of these strategies to biomaterials.

Current position: professor of chemistry and chemical biology, McMaster University; cofounder and chief scientific officer, EnRoute Interfaces

Education: B.Sc., chemistry, University of Toronto; Ph.D., chemistry, McGill University

Brook on what inspires him: “I have always been curious about ‘how stuff works.’ I really enjoy learning about new technical problems, both academic and industrial, particularly from specialists outside of silicone chemistry. In my experience, these interactions lead to creative moments that allow us to try to design silicones to meet new challenges and, importantly, to broaden my appreciation of different aspects of science. It’s fascinating to approach new problems from outside one’s comfort zone: lots of mistakes are always accompanied by lots of creative opportunities.”

What his colleagues say:“Brook developed pragmatic and practical routes to well-defined, functionalized silicone polymers under mild conditions. The increasing utilization of these developments, particularly the Piers-Rubinsztajn reaction, by others demonstrates the impact of his work.”—Craig Hawker, University of California, Santa Barbara