2024 Donald J. Cram Distinguished Lecture by Professor David Leigh

Posted on November 5, 2024

Professor David Leigh (University of Manchester) visited UCLA on October 24, 2024, to give the 2024 Cram Distinguished Lecture. A pioneer in the field of molecular machines, Leigh has developed methods to use chemical fuels to drive their motion in a controlled, directional manner, rather than randomly.

Enthusiastic students, postdocs, researchers, and faculty members attended the standing-room-only lecture in the Dongwon Yoo Seminar & Conference Hall in the Mani L. Bhaumik Collaboratory in Young Hall. A reception followed the lecture in the Collaboratory study area.

In his introduction, Professor Patrick Harran, the Donald J. Cram Chair in Organic Chemistry, spoke about Nobel Laureate and former UCLA faculty member Donald Cram, in whose honor both the lecture and the Cram Chair are named.

Much to the delight of attendees, Leigh used magic tricks and cartoons during his talk to explain his research.

Select photos from the event can be viewed below, and the full photo gallery is available here.

In his introductory remarks, Professor Patrick Harran spoke about the late Professor Donald Cram, whom the lecture honors.

Cram was a Nobel Prize-winning chemist who taught and conducted research at UCLA for more than 50 years.

As part of one of his magic tricks, Leigh first pulled bits and pieces of newspaper from his pockets.

He then transformed them into a complete newspaper page.

Leigh used a custom-made cartoon to illustrate his research.

Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Rishika Rai (García-Garibay group) volunteered to participate in a trick, involving several large playing cards featuring photos of celebrities.

Leigh shuffled the cards, and Rai selected one. Much to her surprise, the card featured a photo of her advisor, Dean of Physical Sciences Prof. Miguel García-Garibay.

Teacher-Scholar Dr. Huiling Shao asked a question.

Dean of Physical Sciences Miguel García-Garibay, Dr. Rishika Rai (holding the playing card), and Prof. David Leigh.

About the Donald J. Cram Distinguished Lecture

Professor Donald J. Cram was a Nobel Prize-winning chemist who taught and conducted research at UCLA for more than 50 years. An endowment was established in his memory and it began sponsoring departmental events in 2002. The first of these was the “50 Year of Cram’s Rule” symposium. This was followed by the Cram Debate in 2003 and the Cram Colloquy in 2005. Professor Patrick Harran, the first Donald J. Cram Chair in Organic Chemistry, established and hosts the Cram Lectureship, inviting renowned, international chemists to meet with the faculty and students in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The inaugural lecture was given by Prof. Francois Diederich (ETH-Zurich, UCLA) in 2010 followed by Prof. Andrew Meyers (Harvard) in 2012, Prof. Barry Sharpless (Scripps) in 2013, and Prof. David Milstein (Weizmann Institute) in 2015, and Prof. Kevan Shokat (UCSF) in 2017, and Prof. Jennifer Doudna (University of California, Berkeley) in 2019.

Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.