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UCLA professor honored for rule-breaking chemistry research
Garg’s research focuses on challenging established assumptions in organic chemistry
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 18, Jun 2026
- 04:03 EDT
- 26
Neil Garg / UCLA
Neil Garg, an Indian American chemist and distinguished professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2026 Centenary Prize, one of the organization's highest international honors recognizing excellence in both chemistry and science communication.
Garg, who holds the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA, received the award for “challenging long-standing paradigms in organic chemistry through the creative generation and use of strained intermediates in synthesis, and for excellence in communication.”
Established in 1947, the Centenary Prize commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s founding in 1841. Only three awards are presented worldwide each year across all fields of chemistry. As part of the honor, recipients receive a medal and prize and deliver a series of lectures across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Garg’s research focuses on challenging established assumptions in organic chemistry. His laboratory has developed new synthetic methods while advancing fundamental scientific understanding. The award recognizes, in part, his work on violating Bredt’s rule, a century-old principle in organic chemistry, as reported in Science in 2024.
His research on Bredt’s rule and studies involving the breaking of amide carbon-nitrogen bonds, once considered highly stable, are highlighted in the June 17, 2026, issue of Science Advances in an article titled ‘Rule-breaking in chemical synthesis.’
The article was co-authored with longtime collaborator Professor Ken Houk, a specialist in computational and physical organic chemistry. Garg and Houk have collaborated on more than 35 publications, including research involving Bredt’s rule, amide C-N bond activation and related topics. In the article, the two scientists encourage researchers to challenge established scientific rules and assumptions.
Beyond his research contributions, Garg is widely recognized for science communication and teaching. At UCLA, he has developed new approaches to teaching organic chemistry and created educational resources used by hundreds of thousands of students. His outreach efforts also include the book series ‘The Organic Coloring Book,’ the Chem Kids camp and other public education initiatives.
Among his recent honors are the 2025 David A. Evans Award for the Advancement and Education of Organic Synthesis from the American Chemical Society, the 2024 Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prize as part of the Molecular Strainers Team, the 2023 Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the 2026 UCLA Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring.
Garg joins a select group of UCLA chemists who have previously received the Centenary Prize, including Ric Kaner, Omar Yaghi, Fred Hawthorne, Donald Cram and Saul Winstein.
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