HomeDate: 2026-09-09
Distinguished Research Fellow Chi-Huey Wong of the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, has been selected as the recipient of the 2027 American Chemical Society (ACS) Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry. He was recognized "for his contributions to enabling a new understanding of biological glycosylation and the development of carbohydrate-based medicines." Dr. Wong will be invited to an award ceremony and banquet, taking place in March 2027 during the ACS Spring meeting in New Orleans.
Established by the American Chemical Society, the Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry recognizes outstanding research in either field. The award honors scientists whose work has made significant contributions to advancing the understanding of biological processes and the development of new approaches in chemistry and related fields. Wong’s selection for the 2027 award highlights the impact of his pioneering research on biological glycosylation, carbohydrate chemistry, and the development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics.
Professor Wong currently serves as the Scripps Family Chair Professor of Chemistry at Scripps Research in San Diego, California, and holds a joint appointment as Distinguished Research Fellow at the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. He is best known for developing chemo-enzymatic and programmable methods to synthesize and study complex carbohydrates and glycoproteins. His research seeks to decode protein glycosylation and apply these insights to the development of next-generation, AI-driven precision medicines.
The Alfred Bader Award is the latest in a series of international honors recognizing Wong’s contributions to chemistry. Recent distinctions include the 2026 Kirkwood Medal from Yale University’s Department of Chemistry and his selection as the 2025–2026 T.Y. Shen Lecturer in Chemical Biology at MIT. He visited MIT on May 5–6, 2026, to deliver two lectures entitled “Decoding Glycosylation for Next-Generation AI-Driven Precision” and “Programmable Methods for the Synthesis and Study of Glycoconjugates.” Other honors include the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Synthesis, the ACS Arthur C. Cope Award, and the Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry.
