Medals and Lectures

Full text of Biochemical Society Medal Lectures available free online

The Biochemical Society Award

The Biochemical Society makes a series of prestigious awards that recognize research achievement. The Council of the Society has decided to introduce a new one that offers the opportunity to recognize achievement spanning wider fields of endeavour within, or related to the biochemical sciences.

The Council will each year decide upon the area or topic that they wish to recognize with this award lecture and prize of �2,000.

The first Biochemical Society Award will be made in 2002 and nominations are invited for an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to Scientific Communication in the Public domain. The individual does not necessarily have to be a scientist but his or her work must have had a notable impact on the molecular and cellular life sciences in the public domain.

It is essential that, in nominating an individual, you include the following:

• A letter from the nominator which summarizes the nominee's principle achievements and clearly describes how these meet the criteria for the award
• The individual's current CV and any other relevant career information
• At least two supporting letters from eminent people confirming suitability for the award

If you have any doubts about the eligibility of your nominee, please contact Sheila Mills; tel. 020 7299 4441

The closing date for nominations is 1 June 2001.

Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins Memorial Lecture

This lecture, instituted in 1958, is given every two or three years to coincide with one of the major meetings of the Society. The lecturer is required, as far as is possible, to assess the impact of recent advances in his or her chosen field upon progress in biochemistry. Considerable discretion is allowed the lecturer in his/her choice of subject and he/she may, for example, choose to discuss advances made in other fields of knowledge that have important implications in his/her biochemical field, or the effect on other disciplines of advances made in biochemistry. The lecturer is nominated by the Awards Committee. The lecturer is given an engraved bronze medal, an Honorarium of �500 plus expenses. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1958: Sir Rudolph Peters, FRS (Cambridge); 1960: A. Neuberger, CBE, FRS (Cambridge); 1961: Sir Hans Krebs, FRS (London); 1963: L.F. Leloir, Foreign Member of the Royal Society (Oxford); 1965: A. Szent-Gyorgi (London); 1967: H.A. Barker (London); 1969: F.J.W. Roughton, FRS (Liverpool); 1971: F Sanger, CH, CBE, FRS (London); 1973: M.F. Perutz, CH, CBE, FRS (Southampton); 1975: E. Racker (Liverpool); 1977: R.R. Porter, FRS (Cardiff); 1979: J. Porath, (Cambridge); 1981: F. Gibson (London); 1983: E.G. Krebs (London); 1985: C. Milstein, FRS (London); 1990: R.J.P. Williams, FRS (Bath); 1992: T. Cech (Glasgow); 1994: T. Hunter (Brighton); 1996: Sir Alec Jeffreys (Liverpool);1998: D.J. Prockop (Philadelphia).

Current recipient for 2000: J. Sulston form The Sanger Centre, Cambridge will be giving his lecture at Sussex

The Wellcome Trust Award for Research in Biochemistry Related to Medicine

The Wellcome Trust sponsors a biennial award for distinguished research leading to new advances in medical science. The award is specifically intended to recognize meritorious research by younger biochemists in the field of biochemistry related to medicine, and the nomination is normally limited to those under the age of 45 years. The work of the nominee must normally have been carried out in the U.K. or Irish Republic during the seven years preceding the date of nomination. Nominations are invited and are assessed by the Awards Committee of the Executive Committee of the Society. The recipient of the award is expected to give a lecture at a meeting of the Society and the lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions. Wellcome awards �1,000 plus expenses.

The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1978: D.J.H. Brock (Nottingham); 1981: K.B.M. Reid (Dublin); 1983: R. Williamson (London); 1985: G.G. Brownlee (Liverpool); 1987: A.W. Segal (London); 1992: S. Humphries (London); 1994: R.A. Dwek (Kent); 1996: K. Davies (Edinburgh); 1998: J.A. Todd (The Wellcome Trust).

Current recipient for 2000: M. Humphries from The University of Manchester will be giving his medal lecture at Leeds.

The Colworth Medal

The medal was donated in 1963 by the Unilever Research Colworth Laboratory, Sharnbrook, Bedford. It is awarded annually for work of an outstanding nature to a British biochemist, who normally must not have reached the age of 35 years by 1 January of the year for which the award is made. Those above this age limit, who have lost time early in their career through family commitments, illness, late entry into higher education or other good reasons, will be considered by the Awards Committee. The recipient, who is selected by the Awards Committee, is expected to give a lecture at a meeting of the Society and at one of the Unilever Research Laboratories. The recipient receives an Honorarium of �1,000 and expenses. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1963: H.L. Kornberg, FRS (Manchester and Sharnbrook); 1964: J.R. Tata, FRS (London and Sharnbrook); 1965: J.B. Chappell (Oxford and Sharnbrook); 1966: M.H. Richmond (Sharnbrook); 1967: L.J. Morris (Liverpool and Vlaardingen); 1968: P.B. Garland, FRSE (London and Sharnbrook); 1969: G.K. Radda, FRS (London and Sharnbrook); 1970: D.A. Rees, FRS (Sussex and Vlaardingen); 1971: A.R. Williamson (Sharnbrook and Glasgow); 1972: J.M. Ashworth (Oxford and Sharnbrook); 1973: J.C. Metcalfe (Cambridge and Sharnbrook); 1974: D.R. Trentham, FRS (Edinburgh and Sharnbrook); 1975: W.J. Brammar (Cambridge and Sharnbrook); 1976: G.G. Brownlee (Cardiff and Sharnbrook); 1977: P. Cohen, FRS, FRSE (London and Sharnbrook); 1978: T.E. Hardingham (Swansea and Sharnbrook); 1979: R.A. Laskey, FRS (Newcastle and Sharnbrook); 1980: R.A. Flavell, FRS (Sharnbrook and London); 1981: T.H. Rabbitts (Sharnbrook and Aberdeen); 1982: D.M.J. Lilley, FRSE (Sharnbrook and Cambridge); 1983: E. Oldfield (Sharnbrook and Oxford);1984: M.D. Houslay, FRSE (Cardiff); 1985: A.J. Jeffreys, FRS (Dublin); 1986: G.P. Winter (Canterbury); 1987: C.P. Downes (Nottingham); 1988: H.R.B. Pelham, FRS (Aberystwyth); 1990: D.W. Melton (Aberdeen); 1991: M.A.J. Ferguson (London); 1992: A.I. Lamond (Glasgow) FRSE; 1993: N.C. Tonks (Sheffield); 1994: R.L. Stephens (Sussex); 1995: J. Pines (University College Dublin); 1996: S. Radford (Queen Mary and Westfield College, London); 1997: S. Jackson (Reading); 1998: D. Barford (Oxford); 1999: N.S. Scrutton (Leicester); 2000: D.R.Alessi (Dundee)

Current recipient for 2001: A. Sharrocks from the University of Manchester.

The Novartis Medal and Prize (formerly Ciba)

The medal was donated in 1964 by the Ciba Laboratories, Horsham (later the Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals Division and now Novartis). It is normally awarded annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to the development of any branch of biochemistry. The award is for work carried out in the U.K. but is open to candidates of any nationality, subject to nomination. The medal carries a gift of �1000 and the recipient, who is selected by the Awards Committee. The prize-winner is expected to deliver a lecture which is subsequently published in Biochemical Society Transactions. The lecturer's travelling expenses are repaid.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1965: J.W. Cornforth, CBE, FRS and G.J. Popjak, FRS (London); 1966: R.R. Porter, FRS (Horsham); 1967: D.M. Blow, FRS (Cork); 1968: W.J. Whelan, FRS (London); 1969: T.W. Goodwin, CBE, FRS (London); 1970: D.C. Phillips, FRS (London); 1971: D.H. North-cote, FRS (Surrey); 1972: R.T. Williams, FRS (London); 1973: P.D. Mitchell, FRS (London); 1974: E. Kodicek, CBE, FRS (Edinburgh); 1975: E.F. Hartree (Stirling); 1976: S.V. Perry, FRS (London); 1977: C. Milstein, FRS (Galway); 1978; J.R. Quayle, FRS (Cambridge); 1979: J.B. Gurdon, FRS (Sheffield); 1980: S. Brenner, FRS (Manchester); 1981: I.H. Muir, CBE, FRS (Oxford); 1983: G.K. Radda, FRS (Leeds); 1984: P.J. Randle, FRS (London); 1985: E.A. Barnard, FRS (Cambridge); 1987: T.L. Blundell, FRS (Sheffield); 1988: R.H. Michell, FRS (London); 1991: P. Nurse, FRS (Manchester); 1992: P. Cohen (Warwick); 1993: T. Rabbitts (Leeds); 1994: J. Subak-Sharpe, (Cardiff); 1995: C.F. Higgins (Manchester); 1996: J. E. Walker (Queen Mary & Westfield College, London); 1997: R. Laskey (Dundee); 1998: R.N. Perham (Cambridge); 1999: C. Marshall (London); 2000: K. Nagai (Cambridge).

Current recipient for 2001: S. Halford from the Univeristy of Bristol..

The Morton Lecture

This lecture was instituted in 1978 to commemorate the late R.A. Morton following an appeal by his colleagues and friends. The Johnston Professor of Biochemistry in the University of Liverpool sits with the Awards Committee when the Morton lecturer is elected. The lecture is given biennially at a meeting of the Society and at the University of Liverpool. The lecturer should have made an outstanding contribution to lipid biochemistry. The lecturer receives an Honorarium of �500, and travelling expenses are paid. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1979: L.L.M. van Deenen (Liverpool and Dundee); 1981: H.F. DeLuca (Liverpool and London); 1983: T.W. Goodwin, CBE, FRS (Liverpool); 1985: H.C. Rilling (Liverpool and Cardiff); 1987: J.N. Hawthorne (London); 1989: R.E. Pagano (London); 1992: S.-I. Hakomori (London); 1994: R.F. Irvine (Canterbury); 1995: M. Kates (Manchester); 1996: R. M. Evans (Liverpool); 1999: A. Watts (Oxford).

Current recipient for 2001: R . Michell from the Univeristy of Birmingham.

Keilin Memorial Lecture

This lecture was instituted in January 1964 to commemorate the late David Keilin following an appeal by a group of his associates. The Biochemical Society was requested by the organising group to act as trustee of the memorial fund. The lecturer and the subject of the lecture are selected from a field of biochemistry and/or biology by the Awards Committee. The lecture is, in general, given every other year, but the Committee has the power modify this programme. The lecturer receives a medal, and an Honorarium of �500 plus expenses. The venue of the lecture may be outside the U.K. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1964: A. Lwoff (Cambridge); 1966: B. Chance (Cambridge); 1969: F. Eigen (London); 1970: E. Margoliash (Cambridge); 1972: R.J.P. Williams, FRS (Cambridge); 1974: E.C. Slater, FRS (Cambridge); 1976: S.M.E. Magnusson (Cambridge); 1980: J. Kraut (Sheffield); 1983: M.G. Rossmann, (Cambridge); 1985: H. Beinert (Oxford); 1987: R. Huber (Leicester); 1989: Q.H. Gibson, FRS (Guildford); 1991: W. Hol (Edinburgh); 1993: L. Ernster (London); 1995: L. Dutton, (Manchester); 1997: M. Wilkstr�m (Plymouth); 1999: S. Yoshikawa (Akoh Hyogo).

Current recipient for 2001: S. Ferguson from the University of Oxford.

AstraZeneca Award

Zeneca Pharmaceuticals sponsors an award, made triennially by the Biochemical Society, for outstanding work carried out in a laboratory situated in the U.K. or Irish Republic, leading to advances in biochemistry related to the development and application of a new reagent or method. The first award was made in 1995. The recipient receives an Honorarium of �500 plus expenses.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1995: C.N. Hales (Aberdeen); 1998: S.W. Homans (St. Andrews).

Current recipient for 2001: S. Oliver from the University of Manchester.

The Jubilee Lecture

This lecture was established to commemorate the Society's 50th anniversary in 1961. It is given each year in which there is no Hopkins Memorial Lecture, normally in London, to coincide with a meeting of the Society and also at a suitable centre outside London. It is later published in Biochemical Society Transactions. The lecturer, who must be a biochemist of distinction, but may be from any part of the world, is selected by the Awards Committee and is expected to lecture on his/her chosen field of research. The lecturer receives the Harden Medal, which was first awarded in 1978 and receives a gift of �500. Expenses are also paid.

Past recipients
The place of delivery of a lecture is given in parentheses.
1962: P.C. Zamecnik (London and Glasgow); 1964: E. Lederer (London and Leeds); 1966: F. Lynen (London and Liverpool); 1968: H.G. Khorana (London and Glasgow); 1970: A.L. Lehninger (Cardiff and London); 1972: C.B. Anfinsen (Oxford and London); 1974: J.H. Quastel, CC, FRS (London and Belfast); 1976: A. Kornberg (London and Edinburgh); 1978: C. de Duve (Keele and London); 1980: S.J. Singer, (London); 1983: H.G. Hers (Dundee); 1985: A. Klug, FRS (London); 1987: M.Z. Atassi, DSc (Cardiff and London); 1989: S.A. Kornfeld (London); 1991: P. Reichard (London); 1993: A.R. Fersht (London); 1995: D. Chapman (Dublin); 1997: J. Rothman (Bath); 1999: V. Massey (Michigan).

Current recipient for 2001: S. Courtneidge from SUGEN Inc.