Posted 07 May 2014
Boyle Higgins Gold Medal for UCD Chemist
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to chemistry, UCD’s Professor Pat Guiry has been awarded the Boyle Higgins Gold Medal by the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland.
The medal was inaugurated in 1985 to encourage the advancement of chemistry in Ireland. It recognises research work carried out in chemistry under the headings: pure chemistry; applied and industrial chemistry; and chemical education.
Pictured far right: Professor Pat Guiry (r), Head of the UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Director of the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology at UCD, was presented with the Boyle-Higgins Gold Medal by Patrick Hobbs (l), President of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland
Known as 'The Boyle Higgins Medal and Lecture of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland' the award involves a gold medal and a monetary sum to cover expenses for a lecture. The award may be made annually for an outstanding and internationally recognised Irish research contribution to the advancement of chemistry by a chemist of any nationality working in Ireland or by an Irish chemist working overseas.
Professor Guiry studied at University College Dublin where he completed his PhD in 1990 under the supervision of Dervilla Donnelly. His PhD research project included research stays with Jean-Pierre Finet at Université St Jerome, Marseille and Sir Derek Barton (Nobel Laureate) at Texas A&M. He carried out postdoctoral research with John M. Brown FRS at the University of Oxford (1990-1993) and subsequently joined the faculty at University College Dublin, where he is currently Head of the UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Director of the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology.
Professor Guiry and his research group develop new catalysts and synthetic methodologies to prepare biologically interesting compounds, particularly those with anti-inflammatory properties. The group, which has graduated 36 PhDs to date, has an international reputation with 123 publications, including 12 book chapters.
(Produced by UCD University Relations)
