On Mar. 28, 2024, the American Chemical Society awarded The Priestley Medal to Carolyn R. Bertozzi “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the Society’s most prestigious award.

Bertozzi from Stanford University is honored “for pioneering research in bioorthogonal reactions and their applications in studying living organisms and developing therapeutics, and for mentoring a generation of outstanding chemists.”  In addition to her outstanding research and the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Carolyn Bertozzi is known for emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in science. She has often spoken about her personal challenges as a woman and lesbian entering the field at a time when opportunities for underrepresented groups were emerging. She is also recognized as a great mentor and collaborator to many.

She took click chemistry to a new level by pioneering its application in living organisms to map glycans on cell surfaces. Bertozzi further advanced the field by developing a copper-free click reaction, called the strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition. Bertozzi has also made important discoveries in basic glycobiology and founded numerous companies.