Patti wins medal from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry

Gary Patti, the Michael and Tana Powell Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded the Biemann Medal from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry for his “pioneering work” in the field of metabolomics, the study of the compounds involved in metabolism.

The ASMS described Patti’s work as “exemplary of how metabolomics should be applied to study biology.” The society also noted that his techniques have become “gold standards in the field.”

The Biemann Medal recognizes “significant achievement in basic or applied mass spectrometry in the early stages of an academic career.” Patti will receive the medal at the ASMS Annual Conference in June, where he will deliver an award lecture.

At WashU, Patti’s lab uses metabolomic approaches to better understand the biology of cells, especially cancer cells. The lab is also committed to developing new laboratory technologies and software to help process exceptionally large volumes of data.

Patti, also a professor of medicine and genetics in the School of Medicine, is the co-lead investigator of a new National Institutes of Health project that will channel more than $19 million to WashU. The project will focus on multi-omics, an approach that studies cells at multiple levels, including genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

“Without Klaus Biemann’s seminal contributions to the field of mass spectrometry, none of the work that my laboratory does would be possible,” Patti said. “His vision redefined biochemistry, pharmacology, and medicine. It is an incredible honor to be recognized with this prestigious medal in his name.”