February 8, 2000
Université de Montréal's André Charette to receive major science prize

Work in the synthesis of three dimensional molecular architectures praised internationally (Ottawa, Ont.)
 

The Hon. Dr. Gilbert Normand, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development), and Dr. Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC, today announced that Université de Montréal chemist André Charette has won an NSERC Steacie Fellowship, one of the country's most prestigious and valuable research prizes.

The award includes a $180,000 payment over two years to the Université de Montréal towards Dr. Charette's salary, freeing him to pursue his research full-time and obtain increased research funding from NSERC.

NSERC Steacie Fellowships are awarded to outstanding Canadian university scientists or engineers who have earned their doctorate within the last twelve years. Nominations are received from universities across Canada.

Dr. Charette is known internationally for blazing new trails and finding shortcuts in the synthesis of complex, biologically active molecules. He has invented powerful techniques for constructing molecules of very precise shapes and characteristics - traits that determine the molecules' desired effects. Besides being of fundamental importance in chemistry, his advances are attracting strong interest from chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Beginning with the successful, complete synthesis of the antibiotics Calcimycin and Indanomycin during his graduate studies, he has rapidly emerged as one of the most creative and productive researchers in his field.

"André Charette is one of Canada's most outstanding young synthetic chemists," said Dr. Normand. "He is making a major contribution to science as well as to the training of researchers for the pharmaceutical industries in the Montreal area. Recognizing him through the NSERC Steacie Fellowship is an investment in his ideas, in his large group of graduate students, and in Canada's future."

"Dr. Charette is a highly original and prolific researcher whose results are already being recognized worldwide," said Dr. Brzustowski. "This award recognizes his potential for even greater success, and provides him with appropriate support to carry out his research in Canada."

André Charette was born in Montréal. He attended high school at College Notre-Dame/Brebeuf (Montreal) and carried out his undergraduate studies at the UniversitŽ de Montréal. Following graduate work at the University of Rochester and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, he returned to the Université de Montréal in 1989 as an NSERC University Research Fellow. He became a full professor in 1998.

This year's other NSERC Steacie honours go to Drs. Chris Le and Wayne Grover of the University of Alberta and Dr. Bruce Balcom of the University of New Brunswick. (To view the NSERC releases on them, visit the NSERC Web site at www.nserc.ca.)

The NSERC Steacie Fellowships will be presented in Ottawa this fall. At the same time NSERC will honour the first winner of the new $1 million Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering.

NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) invests in people, discovery and innovation and is the national instrument for making strategic investments in Canada's capability in science and technology.

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For information

Dr. André Charette
Phone : (514) 343-6283

Arnet Sheppard, NSERC
Phone : (613) 995-5997
Email : axs@nserc.ca

Sonya-Kim St-Julien, Press Secretary
Office of Dr. Gilbert Normand
Phone : (613) 943-0868.

Research in the releases from 1998, 1999 et 2000