Christopher J. Chang, Class of 1942 Chair Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Berkeley, has been awarded the Humboldt Research Award. The award, honoring internationally recognized researchers, includes a stay at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg where Professor Chang will be hosted by Professor Kai Johnsson.
Christopher J. Chang, Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Berkeley, is one of the leading scientists in the areas of chemical biology and inorganic chemistry. He combines approaches from fundamental areas of inorganic, organic, and biological chemistry to address central problems in neuroscience, metabolism, and energy research. In particular, he has designed chemical tools for real-time molecular imaging of metal ion and oxidation chemistry in living systems.
During his stay in Germany, Professor Chang intends to develop new approaches to elucidate the role of transition metal ions in neurobiology. “I thank the Humboldt Foundation for their generous support, it is an honor and I look forward to the exciting opportunities to build new collaborations with our colleagues in Germany to advance our understanding of the chemistry of life”, says Professor Chang. He will be hosted by Professor Kai Johnsson at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg.
About Christopher Chang
Christopher J. Chang is the Class of 1942 Chair Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology. Research in the Chang lab is focused on chemical biology and inorganic chemistry, with particular interests in molecular imaging and catalysis applied to neuroscience, metabolic and infectious diseases, and sustainable energy. His group’s research has been honored by awards from the Dreyfus, Beckman, Sloan, and Packard Foundations, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, and Novartis, AFAR, Technology Review, ACS (Cope Scholar, Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry), RSC (Transition Metal Chemistry), and the Society for Biological Inorganic Chemistry. In 2013 Professor Chang was awarded the Noyce Prize at UC Berkeley for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Professor Chang’s recent honors and awards include: named Sackler Professor, UC Berkeley/UCSF (2014-2015); Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (2015); Blavatnik Award in Chemistry (2015); Cruickshank Award, Gordon Research Conferences (2016); Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017); RSC Jeremy Knowles Award (2018); and the Sackler Prize in Chemistry (2019). He is a Senior Editor at ACS Central Science.
More information on the Chang lab can be found here.
The Humboldt Research Award
Every year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants this award to internationally leading researchers of all disciplines from abroad in recognition of their academic record to date. Award winners are also invited to conduct a research project of their choice at a research institution in Germany in cooperation with specialist colleagues there. The award enables a total stay of between six months and a full year, which can be split into multiple stays.