Ohio State professor named Blavatnik National Awards laureate

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Ohio State professor named Blavatnik National Awards laureate

Chemist David Nagib honored for accelerating pharmaceutical research

David Nagib, a researcher at The Ohio State University who is well-known for his passion for "radical" medicinal chemistry, has been named a laureate of the 2026 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.

A professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Nagib is the first Ohio State faculty member to receive a Blavatnik National Award.

Founded in 2007 to celebrate the potential of early career scientists, the award recognizes scientific advances by researchers in three fields: life sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering. Of the 18 finalists nominated in this year's cohort, Nagib is one of three laureates who will receive a $250,000 cash prize - the largest unrestricted scientific award available to early-career scientists in the United States.

Nagib, who joined Ohio State in 2014, was awarded the highest honor in the chemical sciences category for his work enabling the faster discovery of better, longer-lasting pharmaceuticals. "I've always been passionate about the discovery of new medicines," Nagib said. "That's been the guiding star for the successes in my career, playing in sandboxes or empty areas where nobody else is looking."

In Nagib's lab, his team develops new ways to create key medicinal building blocks by harnessing reactive chemical species called radicals and carbenes. On average, it takes 10 to 15 years for new medicines to be discovered and brought to market, but Nagib's methods address this by helping chemists create more potent and selective medicines faster, cheaper, and more efficiently.

"My dream for the advances that we develop is that it's simple, so easy that anyone in the world can do it without any specialized techniques or strategies," said Nagib. "Our goal is to democratize radical chemistry so it can be used by all, and even in AI workflows."

Previously selected as a Blavatnik National Awards finalist in 2024, Nagib has since focused his research program on using artificial intelligence to design new catalysts for drug candidates. One such effort led Nagib's team to create an open-source database so that any researcher with a smartphone can simulate chemical reactions and learn how to use radicals selectively, too.

Using their models, chemical predictions that once would've taken more than a day can now be accomplished in a few seconds, said Nagib. Despite such huge automated leaps, he hopes such tools inspire the next generation of young scientists to continue to think outside the box.

"Creativity doesn't come from sitting alone and having a eureka moment," Nagib said. "It comes from constantly discussing new ideas, thinking about why they didn't pan out and then coming up with new ones together."

On Oct. 6, Nagib is being honored at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City during the 2026 Blavatnik Awards Gala ceremony, where the winning scientists will give a short presentation about their work. Since 2007, the Blavatnik Awards have invested more than $20 million in over 500 scientists worldwide. Finalists are selected by an independent jury of distinguished scientists. This year, 372 young scientists were nominated, representing 187 academic and research institutions across 43 states and the District of Columbia.

"The most exciting science is the stuff on the edge of possible, but persevering to get such ideas to work is the rewarding part of it," said Nagib. "I think that's the coolest part of discovery."

Nagib plans to use the monetary award to support ongoing lab projects, procure much-needed equipment and lab instruments, and pursue other exciting new ideas.

"This award mainly reflects how excited the community is about the work we're doing at Ohio State," said Nagib. "To be recognized in this way, it really motivates us to keep chasing the stars."

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