2016 Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship Lecture - The history of the Nobel Prize with an Australian twist

About the talk

Alfred Nobel was a genius and a keen practitioner of many fields, including chemistry, physics, physiology/medicine and literature, which comprise four of the prestigious Nobel Prizes awarded each year since 1901. There is also a rich history of the chemical elements being a key part of the prize citation, starting as early as Marie Curie.  This talk covers the history of Alfred Nobel and how he, his father and brothers developed their famous explosive that made Nobel company and Alfred extremely wealthy and famous. However the interesting, sometimes sad part of this history, is how Alfred came about to propose and write in his will the details of these prizes. Professor Berliner, who teaches a course on the Nobel Prize to entering freshman undergraduate students at the University of Denver, gives both personal and sensitive insight to its mystique and fame.   His lecture will bring in an Australian perspective in the contributions that Australian scholars have made to earn several Nobel prizes. Time permitting, the politics and potential mistakes made by the various Nobel committees over the years will be discussed.

About the speaker

Professor Lawrence J. Berliner, University of Denver, and Emeritus Professor of The Ohio State University, is a pioneer in protein structural and free radical research  His team developed thiol specific spin labels, which facilitated site directed spin labelling for studying protein structure in solution by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). His research has involved protein-protein interactions, free radicals and in-vivo EPR.  He is a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Chemical Society, Past-President of the International EPR Society. He and has received the 2000 Silver Medal of the International EPR Society and the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award in Biological EPR Spectroscopy.  He is Editor-in-Chief of Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics and has edited over 30 books on magnetic resonance applications in biology and medicine. He has spoken at many conferences the world on proteins,magnetic resonance and the history of the Nobel Prize.

About the Fellowship 

The Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship commemorates the contributions of Professor M.R. Lemberg, FAA, FRS to science in Australia. The Fellowship is financed through the generous bequest of Mrs Hanna Lemberg and the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.


The purpose of the Fellowship is to enable either Australian or overseas scientists of standing to visit Australian scientific centres and to deliver lectures.

Refreshments from 5:30pm. The talk commences at 6.00pm.

The Shine dome,15 GORDON STREET Australian Capital Territory

Contact Information

Event Manager: Mitchell Piercey
Phone: (02) 6201 9462

5:30 PM September 12, 2016
FOR Public
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Add to Calendar 12/09/2016 5:30 PM 12/09/2016 5:30 PM Australia/Sydney 2016 Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship Lecture - The history of the Nobel Prize with an Australian twist

About the talk

Alfred Nobel was a genius and a keen practitioner of many fields, including chemistry, physics, physiology/medicine and literature, which comprise four of the prestigious Nobel Prizes awarded each year since 1901. There is also a rich history of the chemical elements being a key part of the prize citation, starting as early as Marie Curie.  This talk covers the history of Alfred Nobel and how he, his father and brothers developed their famous explosive that made Nobel company and Alfred extremely wealthy and famous. However the interesting, sometimes sad part of this history, is how Alfred came about to propose and write in his will the details of these prizes. Professor Berliner, who teaches a course on the Nobel Prize to entering freshman undergraduate students at the University of Denver, gives both personal and sensitive insight to its mystique and fame.   His lecture will bring in an Australian perspective in the contributions that Australian scholars have made to earn several Nobel prizes. Time permitting, the politics and potential mistakes made by the various Nobel committees over the years will be discussed.

About the speaker

Professor Lawrence J. Berliner, University of Denver, and Emeritus Professor of The Ohio State University, is a pioneer in protein structural and free radical research  His team developed thiol specific spin labels, which facilitated site directed spin labelling for studying protein structure in solution by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). His research has involved protein-protein interactions, free radicals and in-vivo EPR.  He is a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Chemical Society, Past-President of the International EPR Society. He and has received the 2000 Silver Medal of the International EPR Society and the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award in Biological EPR Spectroscopy.  He is Editor-in-Chief of Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics and has edited over 30 books on magnetic resonance applications in biology and medicine. He has spoken at many conferences the world on proteins,magnetic resonance and the history of the Nobel Prize.

About the Fellowship 

Thecommemorates the contributions of Professor M.R. Lemberg, FAA, FRS to science in Australia. The Fellowship is financed through the generous bequest of Mrs Hanna Lemberg and the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.


The purpose of the Fellowship is to enable either Australian or overseas scientists of standing to visit Australian scientific centres and to deliver lectures.

Refreshments from 5:30pm. The talk commences at 6.00pm.

The Shine dome,15 GORDON STREET Australian Capital Territory false DD/MM/YYYY

Contact Information

Event Manager: Mitchell Piercey
Phone: (02) 6201 9462

5:30 PM September 12, 2016

© 2024 Australian Academy of Science

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