Around half of all medicines originate from natural substances produced by plants, fungi or bacteria. The research group of the 2025 Inhoffen Medal winner Prof. Richmond Sarpong uses this diversity as inspiration for new medicines. His research group focuses on the synthesis of bioactive, complex organic molecules of natural origin. “Richmond Sarpong has brought a certain lightness and enthusiasm back to synthetic natural product chemistry,” said Prof. Andreas Kirschning from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Leibniz University Hannover in his laudatory speech about the award winner.
Prof. Richmond Sarpong studied chemistry at Macalester College and Princeton University (both USA). He then completed his doctorate at Princeton and conducted research at the California Institute of Technology before being appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2004. Sarpong also received the Humboldt Research Award awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2021. He is currently researching and teaching at Leibniz University Hannover as a fellow of the foundation. In May 2025, he was elected into the US National Academy of Sciences. In addition to research, Sarpong attaches great importance to teaching, for which he has obtained several awards, and to the training of young scientists.
The Inhoffen Prize, awarded by the Friends of HZI and endowed with 8000 euros, is considered the most prestigious German award in the field of natural products chemistry. It is awarded as part of the Inhoffen Lecture, a joint ceremony of the HZI, the Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Friends of the HZI.
![[Translate to English:] Charlotte Schwenner](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/9/csm_Charlotte_Schwenner_f5c416d9d0.jpg "Dr Charlotte Schwenner")
