Professor Dieter Seebach

Dieter Seebach received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in chemistry at Karlsruhe University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, and a Habilitation at Karlsruhe University. He served as a lecturer at Harvard during his postdoctoral research. After his habilitation, he became a professor of organic chemistry at the Justus Liebig Giessen University. In 1977, he was appointed as a professor at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH or Swiss Federal Institute) in Zurich, Switzerland.

Professor Seebach is a giant of contemporary organic chemistry. His work dramatically influenced the progress of organic synthesis, and resulted in over 800 publications, over 20 patents, over 950 invited lectures, and numerous scientific awards. Seebach’s milestone contributions to the progress of organic chemistry include the development of novel synthetic methods, elucidation of the structure and function of biomolecular β-hydroxyalkanoates, and the discovery of unusual β-peptides capable of undergoing diverse and stable secondary structures, which may have valuable applications in bioavailable drug candidates. Seebach supervised around 150 Ph.D. students and more than 100 postdoctoral fellows and was an invited professor at several prestigious universities.

Professor Seebach received many awards and honors, including an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Montpellier in France; he was also a recipient of fellowships and memberships from major scientific academies and societies. He is also a member of the editorial boards of several prestigious chemistry journals.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.