Carl Djerassi
Chemistry Professor Emeritus CARL DJERASSI has been elected a foreign member of the Royal Society. The Fellowship of the Royal Society is composed of 1,300 of the most distinguished scientists from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland. Fellows are elected for life. The Royal Society is celebrating its 350th anniversary. Previous fellows have included Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke.
Djerassi was among the 44 new fellows, eight foreign members and one honorary fellow announced by the Royal Society on May 20.
The Royal Society said this about Djerassi:
“Carl Djerassi is eminent in organic and medicinal chemistry, and in the popularization of science. With colleagues, he achieved the first synthesis of cortisone, providing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation and eczema. He received the National Medal of Science and the first Wolf Prize in chemistry for the creation of a progesterone analogue approved in 1960 as the contraceptive pill. He developed (with others) mass spectrometry in organic chemistry, and greatly advanced natural product chemistry. In the latter part of his career, he has promoted science to the general public through books and plays.”
Visit the Royal Society site.
