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A chemist from Florida State University has been honored by the national honor society for women in chemistry for innovative advancements in interface chemistry, a domain critical to energy conservation and public health.
Professor Yan-Yan Hu of Chemistry and Biochemistry is the recipient of the 2025 Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award from Iota Sigma Pi, a recognition awarded yearly to a woman engaging in remarkable studies in fundamental chemistry. Hu was also inducted as a member of the organization this past May, joining a lineage of distinguished scientists, including Nobel Laureates like the late Marie Curie and Dorothy Hodgkin. This accolade will be presented at Iota Sigma Pi’s 36th Triennial Convention in California in June 2026.
“It is a privilege to receive this accolade and to join a society filled with exceptional women who have been trailblazers in science for more than a century,” stated Hu. “Their advocacy and leadership in championing equality for women in the scientific arena are admirable, and it is truly meaningful to be recognized alongside such illustrious scientists.”
Established in 1902, Iota Sigma Pi is a national organization dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in chemistry by honoring scientists who have exhibited impressive academic accomplishments and professional excellence through their studies. Over 11,000 scientists have been initiated into the society, which spans nearly 50 local chapters across the U.S.
“Dr. Yan-Yan Hu is a leading scientist in the advancement and application of cutting-edge solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, methodologies for material and biochemical exploration,” remarked Wei Yang, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Throughout her research career, she has shown extraordinary creativity, profound insight, and remarkable persistence. Notably, she is among the very few scientists, perhaps the sole one, spearheading prominent research grants in both material science and biomedical studies.”
Hu, who concurrently holds a position at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, formulates and implements innovative solid-state NMR strategies to investigate interface chemistry and ion movements in various systems, from biological entities like proteins to functional materials used in rechargeable batteries and fuel cells. NMR spectroscopy employs radio-frequency pulses to influence nuclear spin coherence within magnetic fields, yielding insights into molecular structures and interactions at the atomic level. This approach offers critical data about both the stable configurations and dynamic behavior of materials.
“Ion transport and interface chemistry focus on the examination of interactions and material attributes at the junction where two systems converge,” Hu stated. “This exploration is crucial for the innovation of solid-state rechargeable batteries that promise greater safety and energy density compared to current options. As a community, we aspire to harness renewable energy resources like solar and wind, but the constraints in energy storage limit us from optimizing their capabilities. Throughout my research over the last ten years, I’ve been dedicated to surmounting these challenges and enhancing energy storage.”
Earlier this year, Hu secured $2.2 million from the National Institutes of Health to investigate a crucial set of protein complexes that drive cell division in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which resulted in 1.25 million deaths in 2024 and is recognized as the leading infectious disease killer globally, according to the World Health Organization.
“A portion of my research is centered on enhancing human health and life quality by examining protein interactions within bacteria,” Hu explained. “My aim is to uncover how to manage the division process of bacteria and develop methods to halt it, thereby preventing disease transmission. If we cannot translate the results of our fundamental chemistry inquiries into impactful solutions for societal issues, our work as scientists remains incomplete.”
Hu attained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2006 prior to her relocation to the U.S., where she completed her doctorate in chemistry at Iowa State University in 2011. After obtaining her degree, she served as a Royal Society Newton Fellow and a Marie Curie Research Fellow — through the Royal Society and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, respectively — at the University of Cambridge from 2011 until 2014, before joining FSU’s faculty in 2014.
“Numerous mentors in my career have been women, which makes it all the more meaningful to receive this accolade — as women in STEM, the support we extend to one another is incredibly significant,” Hu mentioned. “Mentoring students is equally fulfilling; I derive profound satisfaction from providing them the same guidance and encouragement I was fortunate to receive. While some of my mentors have passed away, this experience feels like a full-circle moment, allowing me to honor their influence by giving back to the next generation of scientists.”
Explore the Hu Research Group website for more information about her research. To learn more about the investigations conducted in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit chem.fsu.edu.
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