Joonho Lee, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has been named a Laureate of the 2023 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists in chemistry. The Blavatnik Regional Awards honors outstanding postdoctoral scientists from institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut working in life sciences, physical sciences & engineering, and chemistry.

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists was established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and is administered by The New York Academy of Sciences. Laureates are awarded $30,000 each and two Finalists in each disciplinary category are awarded $10,000 each in unrestricted funds. In 2023, there were 121 nominations from 28 academic institutions in the New York metropolitan region.

“Congratulations to this year’s Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists. We look forward to their future significant discoveries,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries, head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Lee, who develops and implements theoretical and computational methods to study a wide range of phenomena, was recognized for the “development of state-of-the-art quantum chemistry algorithms for classical and quantum computers. Lee’s work aims to provide a microscopic understanding of emergent functional materials, including solar cells, electrocatalysts for the hydrogen economy, and optoelectronics.” 

“This year’s Regional honorees are driving cutting-edge research, making important contributions to the area’s current and future scientific excellence,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, the New York Academy of Sciences’ President and CEO. “Many are publishing research at rapid speed, taking creative risks in their research, while actively working to create a more diverse STEM workforce. These are the young scientific superstars we should be watching.”

The honorees of the Blavatnik Regional Awards will be celebrated with a ceremony the American Museum of Natural History in New York on September 19, 2023.

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