Carolyn Bertozzi
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Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Carolyn Bertozzi, PhD, 2022 Nobel laureate in chemistry, professor of chemistry and director of Sarafan ChEM-H at Stanford University, for a conversation about her journey breaking barriers in scientific research. They discuss how her early passion for organic chemistry laid the foundation for her prize-winning work, and how the new field that she founded, bioorthogonal chemistry, has led to the development of better diagnostic testing and targeting for medical treatments. They also explore obstacles historically faced by women and LGBTQ scientists, the importance of fostering diversity in research labs, and how curiosity-driven discoveries can change lives for the better.
Carolyn Bertozzi
Carolyn Bertozzi, PhD, is the Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H at Stanford University, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Radiology. Bertozzi won the Nobel Prize in chemistry 2022, jointly with Morten P. Meldal and Karl Barry Sharpless, for the development of bioorthogonal reactions, which allow scientists to explore cells and track biological processes without disrupting the normal chemistry of the cell. Bertozzi is also the cofounder of several biotechnology startups, including Grace Science LLC, which has developed a gene therapy for NGLY1-deficiency, a rare condition. She has won dozens of scientific awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship, and has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Bertozzi has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harvard University and a PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.