It is a tradition of the ISCC Symposia to present awards to two distinguished researchers, who will give the Award Lectures on the first and last days of the symposium.
Mr and Mrs Sun Chan Memorial Award in Organic Chemistry
The Mr and Mrs Sun Chan Memorial Award in Organic Chemistry honors a young organic chemist of Chinese origin under the age of 45, who has made major contributions to the field of organic chemistry. This prize is sponsored by Prof. Sunney I. Chan, both to honor his parents, and to help to support the careers of young chemists of Chinese origin.
This year, the selection committee will present this award to Prof. Xiang David Li from the University of Hong Kong. Congratulations to Prof. Li!
Xiang David Li obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Fudan University in 2003, and Ph.D. in organic and bioorganic chemistry in 2008 from The University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Professor Dan Yang. His postdoctoral training in chemistry and cell biology continued with Prof. Tarun M. Kapoor at Rockefeller University. In 2011, he returned to The University of Hong Kong to start his independent career as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 2020.
Prof. Li's research, at the interface of chemistry and biology, aims at deciphering the landscape of histone PTMs using chemical approaches. His most important contribution to the field of epigenetics is the development of a variety of new and robust chemical tools and methodology for the comprehensive identification of proteins that are responsible for ‘writing’, ‘erasing’, or ‘translating’ histone PTMs, which helped to unravel biological roles played by specific histone modification and to clarify how the histone PTMs are interpreted in normal physiology and disease pathogenesis. He has been recognized by multiple prizes and awards, including the Tetrahedron Young Investigator Award, CAPA Distinguished Faculty Award, NSFC Distinguished Young Scholars, and HKU’s Outstanding Researcher Award.
The 2025 Chang Family Award in Inorganic Chemistry
For the past 16 years, the Bau Family Award (鮑氏奬) in Inorganic Chemistry, established by the late Professor Robert Bau (1944-2008) of USC, has sponsored the recognition of outstanding young chemists during ISCIC. Beginning ISCIC-14, the Chang Family Award (張氏獎) in Inorganic Chemistry picks up the baton and continues the fine tradition. Professor Chi-Kwong (Chris) Chang (張啟光), Professor emeritus of Michigan State University was an expert on porphyrins and metalloporphyrins, who also served as the Chemistry Department Head at HKUST during its early years. He was a member on the selection committee for the first three Bau Family Awards in Inorganic Chemistry. The Chang Family Academic Endowment funds this award going forward.
The Chang Family Award (張氏獎) in Inorganic Chemistry (US$2,500 and a plaque) will be given to a young inorganic chemist (under the age of 45 and is required to deliver a lecture at the award ceremony) in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements. The inaugural Award Ceremony will be held at the ISCOC-17/ISCIC-14 in Hong Kong.
Nomination for the Chang Family Award in Inorganic Chemistry at ISCOC17/ISCIC-14, Hong Kong, June 9-11, 2025
1. Nomination of candidates for the award at ISCIC-14 is now open, and the closing date has been set on 21 February 2025.
2. Each Member of the International Advisory Committee of ISCIC and the Selection Committee can nominate one or two candidates (without indication of priority) who will be still under age 45 when the award is formally presented at the Meeting.
3. The nomination package consists of (a) a nomination letter, (b) a brief one-page curriculum vitae of the candidate, (c) three representative reprints, and (d) optional supporting letters by other chemists. The whole document should be sent as a PDF file via e-mail to the Chairman before the submission deadline.
The Chang Family Award in Inorganic Chemistry Call Circular-2025.pdf
Prof. Vivian W.W. Yam
Chairman of the Chang Family Award Selection Committee
Department of Chemistry
The University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road Hong Kong
E-mail: wwyam@hku.hk
