Nagib named Ohio State’s first Blavatnik Laureate in Chemical Sciences
David Nagib, College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor and Dr. Harold "Hal" Miller and Betty J. Miller Endowed Chair in Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named the 2026 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Laureate in Chemical Sciences. Supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, the award honors America’s most innovative science faculty under the age of 42 with three laureates, one each in the chemical sciences, life sciences and physical sciences & engineering.
Nagib is Ohio State’s first Blavatnik Laureate, selected from a pool of six finalists in the chemical sciences. Blavatnik award candidates are nominated by their institutions for their past accomplishments and future potential, and evaluated based on the quality, impact, novelty and promise of their scientific work.
"I’m thrilled for this recognition of the exciting breakthroughs we’ve made at Ohio State,” Nagib said. “To discover new, modern medicines, better synthetic technologies are needed that enable access to complex, untapped chemical space. At Ohio State, I’ve been fortunate to work with many creative and eager students who’ve made inspired leaps in this field.”
Nagib’s lab addresses long-standing synthetic challenges for accessing complex molecules by designing catalysts that harness reactive chemical intermediates, including free radicals and metal carbenes. These tools allow the accelerated discovery of more potent and longer-lasting medicines, and also enable faster and cheaper access to medicines via sustainable methods that can lower their costs and increase availability.
“Harnessing free radicals to invent new chemistry is my intellectual passion,” Nagib added. “Mentoring and inspiring students to make these discoveries is my true love. Nothing beats seeing that genuine joy when someone has a great new result in the lab! I’m grateful to the Blavatnik Family for recognizing these efforts and encouraging us to keep exploring.”
The award ceremony was held at a red-carpet gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Oct. 6.
