Melanie Sanford, the Moses Gomberg Distinguished University Professor and the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan, was one of three scholars and the only woman to receive the 2017 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences.
The Blavatnik Award is given to promising young scientists under the age of 42 who “will drive the next generation of innovation by answering today’s most complex and intriguing scientific questions.” The award comes with a $250,000 prize.
Professor Sanford was honored for her work developing simpler, more environmentally friendly approaches to the creating molecules that can be used to store energy in batteries, serve as new medical imaging agents, convert carbon dioxide into fuels, or serve as pharmaceuticals to treat disease.
Dr. Sanford holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University. She earned a Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology.