This year the jury decided to bestow the most prestigious award of our Society, the Egon Stahl-Award (ESA) in Gold, to Rachel Mata (UNAM, Mexico), for her enormous contribution to the field of natural product chemistry and biology. Prof Mata has been networking globally in the field and has had a strong impact on research especially in Spanish speaking American countries. Originally from Venezuela, she graduated in pharmacy, then moved to the USA (Purdue University) and has worked in México for close to 50 years.
Every third year the GA confers the Egon Stahl Award (ESA) in Gold, which, according to the bylaws, is the highest distinction of our society and acknowledges life-time achievements of eminent scientists in our field.
This medal is bestowed for outstanding scientific lifetime work of a research scientist who has been closely attached to Pharmaceutical Biology (Pharmacognosy, Chemistry of Natural Products), in its whole range, through his/her scientific work.
Rachel Mata earned her B.S. degree in Pharmacy from the Universidad Central de Venezuela (Caracas) in 1972, followed by M.S. (1976) and Ph.D. (1979) degrees in Pharmacognosy from Purdue University (Indiana, USA) under the supervision of Dr. Jerry L. McLaughlin. After completing postdoctoral research at the Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), she joined the Faculty of Chemistry at UNAM in 1985 and currently holds the title of Professor Emerita.
For more than four decades, Prof. Mata has made significant contributions to pharmacognosy and natural products research, including the discovery of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants and fungi, elucidation of their chemical structures, and characterization of their biological activities and mechanisms of action. Her research has established a scientific foundation for the rational use of natural products and emphasized the therapeutic potential of Mexico’s biodiversity.
She has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, 13 book chapters, and three edited books, and has developed international collaborations with researchers in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Her commitment to mentoring future scientists is demonstrated by her supervision of 15 postdoctoral fellows, 47 Ph.D. students, 57 M.S. students, and 59 undergraduate students.
Prof. Mata has served as President of the Phytochemical Society of North America and as a member of the editorial boards of prominent journals, including the Journal of Natural Products. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Purdue University Distinguished Alumni Award, the UNAM National University Award, the Norman R. Farnsworth Research Achievement Award from the American Society of Pharmacognosy, the Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award from the American Botanical Council (the first awarded to a Latin American scientist), and the L’Oréal–UNESCO-AMC-CONALMEX Women in Science Award. She was also appointed Emeritus National Researcher by SEHCI in recognition of her lifetime contributions to science.
