The KNCV Gold Medal 2021, the highest Dutch award for top chemical talent, has been awarded to Prof. Timothy Noël of Flow Chemistry at the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences of the University of Amsterdam. Noël will receive the coveted prize at the national chemistry conference CHAINS, which is expected to take place 'live' in Veldhoven in December this year.
The jury for the KNCV Gold Medal describes Noël as a scientific heavyweight performing highly innovative research and praises the great national and international visibility of his work. "Noël has a unique profile in flow chemistry, with a unique combination of subfields such as organic synthesis, catalysis, photochemistry, and process technology. He knows to inspire young people from all over the world, is an inspiring teacher and has developed courses and practical experiments to include flow chemistry in chemical engineering as well as in the classical chemistry curriculum."
Commenting on the award, Noel says he is pleased, honoured "and much more" to receive the KNCV Gold Medal 2021. "The true heroes in this story are the amazing current and former team members of my group at the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. I consider it a privilege to work with such talented people." He is proud to now be included in a list of laureates who have truly pushed the boundaries of chemistry in the Netherlands. "This gives our group the energy and confidence to keep focussing on flow chemistry and to develop new methods for organic synthesis based on this technology. I therefore see this award as a recognition for the entire field of flow chemistry."
Timothy Noël
Timothy Noël received his PhD from Ghent University in 2009. He did postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a Fullbright grant. In 2017, he became an associate professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, followed by an appointment as a full professor at the University of Amsterdam in 2020. Noël has been frequently awarded for his work. For example, in 2015 he received a VIDI grant from NWO. His research on photochemistry in microfluidic reactors was awarded the DECHEMA Prize in 2017, the Hoogewerff Youth Prize 2019, and the 2020 IUPAC-ThalesNano prize for Flow Chemistry. After 4 years as associate editor, he became editor-in-chief of the Journal of Flow Chemistry in 2019. Noël works in close cooperation with the chemical industry, including large pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Eli Lilly and AbbVie) and SMEs (e.g. ThalesNano, Vapourtec).
Gold Medal
The KNCV Gold Medal is awarded annually to top chemical talent in the Netherlands by the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV), the professional association of chemists, life scientists and process technologists in the Netherlands. Eligible are researchers up to forty years of age who are expected to occupy a leading position within their field. Awarded since 1963, the prize is considered the most important Dutch award for researchers who have distinguished themselves in the field of chemical research in the broadest sense.
