Scientist Gautam Desiraju wins 14th IUCr Ewald Prize for contributions to crystallography

Gautam R Desiraju, a renowned crystallographer and a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, has received the prestigious 14th Ewald prize from the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr). He is also a former University of Hyderabad (UoH) faculty member.

The award was presented during the opening ceremony of the IUCr 2026 Congress in Calgary on August 11. The Ewald prize is awarded once every three years to recognise exceptional contributions to crystallography.

Desiraju served as president of IUCr from 2011 to 2014 and has held a professorship at the school of Chemistry, UoH from 1979 to 2009. He later joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, where he is now an Emeritus professor in the solid state and structural Chemistry unit.

Contributions to crystallography

Desiraju has been widely recognised for his contributions to modern crystal engineering and research on weak hydrogen bonding. His research work also had a lasting impact on materials science, pharmaceutical development and supramolecular chemistry worldwide.

Gautam Desiraju's research has played an important role in developing crystal engineering into a field focused on predicting and designing the structures of organic solids. His 1989 book, Crystal Engineering: The Design of Organic Solids, helped establish an early systematic approach to the subject.

In 1995, Desiraju introduced the idea of the supramolecular synthon, which identifies important structural patterns in crystals that can be used to guide molecular design. The concept has since become an important tool in modern crystal engineering.

Ewald Prize: IUCr’s highest honour in crystallography

The Ewald Prize was established by the International Union of Crystallography in 1986 to recognise scientists whose research has made outstanding and pioneering contributions to crystallography.

The award is named after Paul Peter Ewald, a pioneer of X-ray diffraction and one of the founding figures of the IUCr. It is considered the organisation’s highest honour in the field.

The Ewald Prize includes a medal, a certificate and a monetary award, and is conferred every three years at the triennial international Congress of crystallography.