Vinayak Agarwal, an Indian American professor at Georgia Tech has received the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) Bridge Award with ten other Cottrell Scholars.
The award provides up to $100,000 in continuity funding to support early-career researchers “pursuing exciting and productive programs that are training the next generation of scientists,” according to the organization’s press release.
“The Bridge awards provide
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“Support from the RCSA is much appreciated right now to maintain our research productivity and pedagogic service to our student body,” says Agarwal. “The focus of RCSA extends beyond scientific research to include student success, which is in excellent concert with Georgia Tech’s mission.”
Agarwal, who joined Georgia Tech in 2017, holds joint appointments in the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Sciences. His research group studies natural products — small molecules created by living organisms — to understand how they are made and explore potential uses.
Natural products are at the forefront of fighting the global epidemic of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and keeping the inventory of clinically applicable pharmaceuticals stocked up. Some natural products are also potent human toxins and pollutants.
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In 2021, Agarwal was named an RCSA Cottrell Scholar in recognition of his study of natural products found in oceans and his efforts to develop new curricula for undergraduates related to this research.
His additional professional recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, the American Society of Pharmacognosy Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Sloan Research Fellowship.
Agarwal earned his BTech and M.Tech degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi before getting his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and doing postdoctoral work at University of California San Diego.