President Barack Obama Recently Awarded University of Missouri Researcher M. Frederick Hawthorne the National Medal of Science, the Highest Honor Bestowed by the Country to Scientists
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and his wife attended the ceremony in Washington, D.C.
February 4th, 2013
More information about the honor bestowed upon Dr. Hawthorne can be viewed here: President Obama Honors MU Researcher with National Medal of Science
Hawthorne is the director of the International Institute of Nano and Molecular Medicine at MU, as well as Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Radiology.
Hawthorne was named a National Medal of Science recipient because of his work on the chemical element, boron. He developed the use of a technique known as Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, which is used in experimental treatments for cancer, arthritis and other diseases. His work with boron also has been used to fight heart disease and Alzheimer’s. He pioneered the use of “boron cages,” chemical structures that can be attached to other compounds and thereby change their physical properties.
Video of the presentation can be viewed here (Obama awards Hawthorne the Medal at the 16:40 mark of the video):