Taiwanese Researcher Wong Chi-huey Receives Prestigious U.S. National Chemistry Award

Taipei: Wong Chi-huey, honorary president of the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry (IBMI), has been selected to receive the 2027 American Chemical Society (ACS) Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry, the institute announced Monday. According to Focus Taiwan, Wong, who is also a professor at Scripps Research in California and a distinguished research fellow at Academia Sinica's Genomics Research Center, was recognized for his contributions to carbohydrate chemistry and pioneering research into the roles carbohydrates play in human health and disease. Wong's research team at Scripps Research uses bioorganic and synthetic chemistry to investigate biological functions of carbohydrates, including glycans, the IBMI stated. Their research focuses on understanding how glycosylation affects protein structure and function, influencing the human body in areas such as cancer, infections, neurodegenerative disorders, and immune responses. The team's research has contributed to the d evelopment of approaches with implications for biomedical research and drug discovery worldwide, according to the IBMI. This award represents another recognition of Wong's contributions to chemistry and biomedical science. Wong has previously received several prestigious awards, including the Kirkwood Medal, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry, the Arthur C. Cope Award, the Chemical Pioneer Award, the Robert Robinson Award, and the Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry. The Alfred Bader Award, established in 1986, is one of the ACS National Awards recognizing achievements in research. It carries a cash prize of US$5,000. Wong has been invited to the award ceremony and banquet, scheduled for March 2027 in New Orleans, according to the statement.