Jan 18, 2019
Albert J.R. Heck and John R. Yates Awarded 2018 Thomson Medals
Dr. John R. Yates, the Ernest W. Hahn Professor in the Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology at The Scripps Research Institute, and Dr. Albert J.R. Heck, Professor of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics at Utrecht University, were awarded the 2018 Thomson Medals during the 22nd International Mass Spectrometry Conference, held in Florence, Italy from August 26-31, 2018. Sponsored by the International Mass Spectrometry Foundation (IMSF) and first awarded in 1985, the Thomson Medals are named after Sir J.J. Thomson, who was responsible for the first mass spectrograph and was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 for his discovery of the electron. Award winners are selected based on their accomplishments in both of the following areas: (a) Outstanding achievements in mass spectrometry, and (b) Distinguished services to international mass spectrometry societies. Prof. Yates was recognized “for the invention of mass spectrometry and informatics methods to analyze protein interactions and modifications that established the field of large-scale proteomics and transformed the study of molecular and cellular biology”, while Prof. Heck was recognized for “the development of enabling ‘native’ mass spectrometry technologies to probe macromolecular protein complexes for mass-spectrometry based structural biology, and for his contributions to (inter)national mass spectrometry and proteomics societies”.
Photo caption: 2018 Thomson Medalists John Yates (left) and Albert Heck (right), with IMSF President, Prof. Catherine Costello.