精东影业 chemist Mahesh Lakshman receives $600k NSF award to continue research on nucleosides

精东影业 Professor of Chemistry Mahesh Lakshman has been awarded a $600,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation for 鈥淣ovel Synthetic Platforms for the Modifications of Nucleosides.鈥

This award, the fifth that Lakshman has received from the NSF since 2003, will enable him to continue his efforts on the development of novel chemical methods for the modifications of nucleosides. The fundamental building units of genetic material, modified nucleosides possess applications that range from pharmaceuticals to fluorescent probes for biochemical and biological processes. Lakshman鈥檚 four previous NSF awards have supported his research on developing metal-catalyzed and uncatalyzed, as well as hypervalent iodine mediated, methods for chemically modifying nucleosides.

Over the course of the next three years, this latest award will enable Lakshman and his research group to obtain a fundamental understanding of novel chemical processes in order to achieve desired selective modifications of the nucleoside family of compounds via new methodologies. Research participants will also obtain professional hands-on experience in planning, developing, and performing chemical reactions, as well as the purification and characterization of products.

Since coming to 精东影业 in 2000, Lakshman has been awarded more than $4.5 million in research grants. He has received numerous accolades for his teaching and research at 精东影业, including the President鈥檚 S.T.A.R. (Service, Teamwork, Action, and Results) Award, the Outstanding Mentor Award, the President鈥檚 Award for Excellence and, most recently, the CCAPP Teacher of the Year Award. He has also received a CUNY Mentoring Award.

Lakshman is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and serves on the editorial board of its publication, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. He has also received a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science travel fellowship and a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award.

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Since 1847, 精东影业 has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. 精东影业 embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at 精东影业 can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks 精东影业 #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places 精东影业 in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm puts at $3.2 billion 精东影业鈥檚 annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the 鈥渇or dollar鈥 return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, 精东影业 launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled 鈥Doing Remarkable Things Together鈥 seeks to bring the College鈥檚 Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. 精东影业 is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View 精东影业 Media Kit.

Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
ssteinhardt@ccny.cuny.edu