Professor Steven Soper receives 2022 Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry

Prof. Steven A. Soper received the 2022 Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry, which is an international award recognizing significant contributions to the field of bioanalytical chemistry. This award was initiated in 2005 and includes past awardees such as Edward Yeung, Norman Dovichi, Michael Ramsey, Chad Mirkin, Nancy Allbritton, Robert Kennedy, Jonathan Sweedler, and others. The award is named for Prof. Ralph Adams (1924 – 2002), whom pioneered the field of electroanalytical chemistry and its use in neuroscience. Prof. Adams spent his entire career at the University of Kansas and his first Ph.D. student was Prof. Ted Kuwana (Ph.D awarded in 1959), whom himself had an illustrious career with major contributions to the areas of spectroelectrochemistry and glassy carbon electrodes (unfortunately, Prof. Kuwana passed away on December 31, 2021). Prof. Soper did his Ph.D. work under the mentorship of Prof. Kuwana and was his first Ph.D. student at the University of Kansas (Soper joined the Kuwana group in 1985 and received his Ph.D. in 1989). During his Ph.D. studies, Prof. Soper took several classes under the direction of Prof. Adams. The award presentation was to take place at the PITTCON in Atlanta, GA, but due to COVID-19, PITTCON was cancelled (presentation of award will be delayed until PITTCON 2023).

“Professor Steven A. Soper is recognized for his work with single molecule detection by laser-induced fluorescence and development of microchip technology for automated, highly miniaturized analysis systems. He is a worldwide recognized pioneer in the development of diagnostic platforms. Dr. Soper is currently a Foundation Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Bioengineering at the University of Kansas. He is also Director of the NIH-supported Center of BioModular Multi-scale Systems for Precision Medicine, which is focused on designing, manufacturing, and delivering new tools to the biomedical community that utilize liquid biopsies for disease detection and management — Precision Medicine [taken from the PITTCON 2022 award announcement with slight modifications].”