Hyderabad, Aug.13 (RAHNUMA): Renowned crystallographer and former University of Hyderabad faculty member Prof. Gautam Desiraju has been awarded the prestigious 14th Ewald prize by the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr).
The award, presented during the opening ceremony of the IUCr 2026 Congress, recognizes Prof. Desiraju’s pioneering contributions to crystallography, structural chemistry, crystal engineering and the study of non-covalent interactions. Named after Paul Peter Ewald, a pioneer of X-ray diffraction and a founding figure of the IUCr, it remains the highest honour bestowed by the organization.
Prof Desiraju served at the University of Hyderabad’s School of Chemistry for 30 years, from 1979 to 2009. He also holds the rare distinction of having a Cambridge Structural Database entry with the refcode “GAUTAM” named in his honour.
Established in 1986 and awarded once every three years, the Ewald Prize is regarded as the IUCr’s highest honour, recognizing exceptional and groundbreaking contributions to crystallography.
