Stork Wins the 2003 Ryoji Noyori Prize

Professor Gilbert Stork, octogenarian Professor Emeritus from Columbia University, was conferred the Ryoji Noyori Prize in honor of his outstanding lifetime contribution to research in asymmetric chemistry on February 18, 2004.

The Ryoji Noyori Prize was established in 2002 by the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan (SSOCJ) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Society and the bestowal of the 100th Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Professor Ryoji Noyori. Takasago International Corporation, the Prize sponsor, has collaborated for many years with Noyori in joint research.

Professor Stork, the second man ever to win the prize, pioneered three-dimensional chemical synthesis and synthesized the first stereorational substance, cantharidin, in 1951. For 50 years he has adapted his original techniques to the synthesis of complex natural products. His pioneering methods have been used to synthesize many compounds, including prostaglandin and indole steroid alkaloids.

The Takasago-sponsored awards ceremony and commemorative speech were held at the KKR Hotel Tokyo at the 67th annual general meeting of the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan.