Bruce E. Maryanoff facts for kids
Bruce Eliot Maryanoff, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 26, 1947, is a famous American chemist. He is known for his important work in creating new medicines and understanding how chemicals work. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
About Bruce Maryanoff
Bruce Maryanoff studied chemistry at Drexel University, earning his first degree in 1969 and his PhD in 1972. After finishing his studies, he worked as a researcher at Princeton University for two years.
In 1974, he joined McNeil Laboratories, which is part of Johnson & Johnson. He worked his way up to the highest science position in the company. Bruce Maryanoff retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2010. Now, he works with other research groups like The Scripps Research Institute in California. He also helped edit a science journal called ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters for many years. He is married to Dr. Cynthia A. Maryanoff.
What He Did
Bruce Maryanoff has done a lot of important work in medicinal chemistry (making medicines) and organic chemistry (studying carbon-based chemicals).
One of his biggest achievements is inventing a special medicine called topiramate. This medicine is used all over the world to help people with epilepsy (a condition that causes seizures) and migraine headaches. It has helped many people and has been very successful. Topiramate is also a key part of a medicine used to help with obesity.
Bruce Maryanoff is also an expert in drug design and drug discovery. This means he knows how to create new medicines and find ways to make them work better. He is especially good at using protein structure to design drugs. This involves understanding the shapes of tiny parts of our bodies to make medicines that fit perfectly.
He also helped us understand how some chemical reactions work, like the Wittig reaction. He found new ways to make large chemical rings using a special process. He also designed new types of peptides (small protein parts) that can build themselves up to act like collagen, which is important for our bodies.
Bruce Maryanoff has written many scientific papers and books. He also holds 100 U.S. patents for his inventions. He has given over 185 talks around the world and helped train many young scientists.
Awards and Honors
Bruce Maryanoff has received many awards for his important work, including:
- Johnson & Johnson's Philip B. Hofmann Research Scientist Award in 1978 and 1987.
- The 23rd Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 1984.
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1989.
- Distinguished Chemistry Alumni Award from Drexel University in 1994.
- Philadelphia Organic Chemists' Club (POCC) Award in 1995.
- Johnson & Johnson's Johnson Medal for Research and Development in 1997.
- American Chemical Society Heroes of Chemistry Award in 2000.
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in 2000.
- American Chemical Society Award in Industrial Chemistry in 2003.
- Inducted into the National Commission for Cooperative Education Co-op Hall of Fame in 2002–2003.
- Named one of the Drexel 100 in 2003.
- ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in 2008.
- American Chemical Society Edward E. Smissman Award in 2009.
- Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2009.
- Prix Paul Ehrlich from Société de Chimie Thérapeutique (SCT) in 2010.
- American Chemical Society E.B. Hershberg Award for Important Discoveries in Medicinally Active Substances in 2013.
