《Editor’s Note: Professors in the Department of Chemistry and the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST are doing splendid work in their respective field of studies. Here is a brief summary of those inspiring stories.》

■ Professor Cheol-Min Cheol-Min Park (Department of Chemistry, UNIST) Honored with the 2021 ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award

Professor Cheol-Min Park from the Department of Chemistry at UNIST has been presented with the 2021 Heroes of Chemistry Award, which is the American Chemical Society’s highest honor for industrial chemical scientists.

Professor Park has been given this award in recognition of his contribution towards developing VENCLEXTA®/VENCLYXTO® (venetoclax) in the treatment of leukemia. The awards ceremony was held in Washington, D.C. on October 6, 2021.

Professor Park led a successful clinical trial, while working at Abbott Laboratories, the predecessor company of AbbVie. VENCLEXTA®/VENCLYXTO® is a first-in-class medicine that selectively binds/inhibits the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein, and is approved for certain blood cancer treatments.

This was the first FDA-approved drug, utilizing the principle that inhibits protein-protein binding at the time of its development in 2016.

Meanwhile, each year the American Chemical Society (ACS) honors researchers and companies that developed products that have led to significant advancements in medicine. The winners will be inducted into the Heroes of Chemistry scientific hall of fame, which ACS has sponsored annually since 1996.

[Related Article] [ACS] ‘Heroes of Chemistry’ Recognized for Innovations in Medicine

■ Distinguished Professor Sang Il Seok Named Scientist of the Year by Journalists

Distinguished Professor Sang Il Seok in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has been chosen as the winner of the Scientist of the Year award, which is given to the researcher most recommended by science journalists.

The award ceremony took place at Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on November 26, 2021.