K. Barry Sharpless, Ph.D.

Advisor, Indi Molecular
Professor of Chemistry, Scripps Research

K. Barry Sharpless, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading chemists, is the W. M. Keck Professor of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. In 2001, Dr. Sharpless shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His Nobel citation stated: “Many scientists have identified Sharpless’ epoxidation as the most important discovery in the field of synthesis during the past few decades.”

Dr. Sharpless has 40 years of experience in organic and bio-organic chemistry research and has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers, patents, and publications. He pioneered the use of “click chemistry”, a process that allows scientists to permanently join (“click”) together molecular components with unusual precision and stability.

Dr. Sharpless is an elected fellow and member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He holds a B.S. from Dartmouth College, earned his Ph.D from Stanford University, and conducted postdoctoral research at both Stanford University and Harvard University.