KU researcher named recipient of Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award

LAWRENCE — A top researcher recognized for his work to apply magnetic resonance techniques to chemistry, physics and biomedical research is the recipient of this year’s Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award at the University of Kansas.

Justin Douglas, director of the university’s Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, is the winner of the annual award, which honors an outstanding unclassified academic staff researcher from KU’s Lawrence Campus.

Douglas will be recognized and receive a plaque at a ceremony and reception planned for 3:30-5 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Shankel Structural Biology Center. Douglas will receive $10,000 in research funds as part of the award.

“The Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award is designed to recognize a scholar whose research has significant influence in his or her field and has expanded intellectual or societal insights,” said John Colombo, interim vice chancellor for research at KU. “Justin’s own research contributions as well as the support he has provided to the research efforts of so many other colleagues absolutely fit this description. We are proud to recognize him and his achievements.”

As director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Douglas oversees nine magnetic resonance spectrometers used by more than 200 researchers – primarily from the KU departments of Chemistry, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences and Pharmaceutical Chemistry – who combine for more than $30 million in annual external research funding. Douglas has 28 peer-reviewed publications and has been awarded more than $623,000 in grants as a principal investigator. Additionally, for the past three years he has taught a complete three-credit course in spectroscopy that is taken by all organic and medicinal chemistry graduate students at KU, resulting in his recent appointment as a courtesy professor in medicinal chemistry.

“Dr. Douglas does incredibly valuable work as director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory,” said Robert Hanzlik, professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. “Beyond that, he has made tremendous contributions to KU as a researcher, as a collaborative research enabler, as a laboratory director and manager, as a teacher, and as the PI of instrumentation grants that help keep KU at the cutting edge of research capabilities. For all these reasons, he is deserving of this recognition.”

The Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award – formerly the KU Research Achievement Award – was established in 2006. Past recipients of the award:

• David Vandervelde, NMR Director (formerly at KU)
• Richard Miller, Kansas Geological Survey
• Debra Kamps, director, Kansas Center for Autism Research & Training
• Don Huggins, Kansas Biological Survey
• Daryl Mellard, Center for Research on Learning
• Frank Schoenen, CMLD
• Todd Williams, director, Mass Spectrometry
• Craig Freeman, Kansas Biological Survey
• Jean Hall, Center for Research on Learning
• Susan Palmer, Bureau of Child Research.