Charles Rees Award
Recognising excellence in the field of heterocyclic chemistry.
Details
| Status | Closed |
|---|---|
| Nominations opening date | 01 April 2026 9:00am |
| Nominations closing date | 31 May 2026 5:00pm |
| Nominee eligibility | Individuals |
| Nominee location | Global |
| Career stage | All career stages |
Winners
The Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2026 Charles Rees Award for excellence in the field of heterocyclic chemistry is Professor Chris Willis of the University of Bristol for elucidating the mechanisms of chemical and enzymatic heterocycle formation with applications in complex natural product synthesis.
Chris' research combines total synthesis, isotopic labelling and mechanistic studies to reveal how complex molecules are assembled, both in the flask and in Nature. The Charles Rees Award for 2026 is given for her influential body of work on oxygen-containing heterocyclic natural product synthesis and the mechanistic understanding it has generated. Her pioneering Prins cyclisation studies established the origins of stereocontrol and side-chain exchange in tetrahydropyran formation, enabling the construction of polycyclic scaffolds and complex natural products. In turn, the stereocontrolled synthesis of putative biosynthetic intermediates by the Willis group has underpinned the discovery and characterisation of enzymes that construct such rings in Nature.
2024
Professor Darren Dixon, University of Oxford
2020
Professor David Procter, University of Manchester
2018
Professor Andrew Smith, University of St Andrews
2016
Professor John Murphy, University of Strathclyde
2014
Professor Tim Donohoe, University of Oxford
2012
Professor Christopher Moody, University of Nottingham
2010
Professor Anthony Barrett, Imperial College London
About the prize
The Charles Rees Award is to reward excellence in the field of heterocyclic chemistry. The award covers the synthesis, properties, and applications of all types of heterocyclic compounds.
- Run biennially. Nominations open in April and close in May
- The winner receives £2000, a medal and a certificate
- The winner will be chosen by the committee of the RSC Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group
- The winner will deliver a plenary lecture at the 27th Lakeland Symposium, Grasmere, UK, to be held from Sunday 9 May to Thursday 13 May 2027. All accommodation and travel costs to enable conference participation will be covered
- As part of the prize, conference fees and accommodation for two PhD students from the recipient’s group to attend the conference and present their work will be awarded
Guidelines for nominators
- Nominees may NOT nominate themselves
- This award is open to nominees based in the UK or internationally
- There are no career stage restrictions associated with this award
Please complete our online form by 31 May 2026 to nominate candidates.
Please use the online nominations system to submit the following information:
- Your name and contact details
- Your nominee's name and contact details
- An up to date CV for the nominee (no longer than one A4 side, 11pt text) which should include a summary of their education and career, a list of 5 relevant publications, total numbers of publications and patents (if appropriate), and website URL if relevant
- A supporting statement (up to 750 words) addressing the selection criteria. Our guidance for nominators page has more information on writing this supporting statement
- A short citation describing what the nominee should be awarded for. This must be no longer than 250 characters (including spaces) and no longer than one sentence
Our selection committee will base their evaluations primarily on the overall quality of relevant contributions made by nominees and not simply on quantitative measures.
The selection committee will consider the following aspects of nominations:
- Originality of research
- Impact of research
- Quality of publications and/or patents and/or software
- Innovation
- Collaborations and teamwork
- Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominee/nominator
- David Procter, University of Manchester
- Zac Lockhart, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Kenny Clark, AstraZeneca
- Stephen Fletcher, University of Oxford
- Masakazu Atobe, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
- Johannes Walker, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
- Will Unsworth, University of York
- Jonathan Knowles, Northumbria University
- Graeme Barker, Heriot-Watt University
- Gilian Thomas, University of Leeds
- Miriam O’Duill, University of Nottingham
Awarded by the Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group
The Heterocyclic Group was formed in 1967 by a group of heterocyclic chemists. It gained approval from the Chemical Society on 5 April 1967. The first Chairman was Alan Katritzky (then at UEA) and the first Secretary/Treasurer was Gurnos Jones (Keele). In 2001, the Group voted to change its name to the Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group, to reflect the wider interests of its membership in synthetic organic chemistry.