Jianpeng Ma Earns Hackerman Award

Does the structure of something determine its function, or is it the other way around? What exactly is the relationship between structure and function, and why is it important to understand?

Jianpeng Ma, assistant professor in bioengineering at Rice, has shed some light on these fundamental questions, and the Welch Foundation has recognized his groundbreaking approach with the 2004 Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research.

Created in 2001 by the Welch Foundation, one of the nation’s oldest and largest sources of private funding for basic research in chemistry, the Hackerman Award pays tribute to Norman Hackerman, longtime chairman of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board and former Rice president. The $100,000 award is presented annually to honor young up-and-coming scientists at Texas institutions, recognizing them for expanding the frontiers of chemistry through their innovative research endeavors.

Ma is the award’s third recipient. Foundation chairman Richard J. V. Johnson said, “Dr. Ma is an outstanding research chemist as well as a dedicated educator. He is a leader in his field, and his persistence and diligence are an inspiration to his colleagues and students alike.”

Ma said he is fascinated by the structure/function relationship of biological molecules. He uses computer simulation as one tool to explore this connection. One of his major breakthroughs occurred when he found a way to simulate protein motion without knowing the exact coordinates and amino-acid sequences of the protein structures. His research will help scientists better understand the chemical basis of causes for diseases.

Richard E. Smalley, University Professor, the Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry, and professor of physics at Rice, called Ma the most outstanding young investigator in the field of chemical research in Texas. “Dr. Ma is very deserving of the recognition of the Hackerman Award,” he said.

“I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award,” Ma said. “It is especially meaningful since I received my first grant in Texas from the Welch Foundation, which has undoubtedly played a vital role in my career and allowed me to carry out much of my research. I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead and hope I can live up to the expectation of the award.”

Born in China, Ma was influenced by his father, a mechanical engineer, and his mother, a chemist. He received his undergraduate degree in physical chemistry at Fudan University in Shanghai in 1985 and a doctorate in chemistry from Boston University in 1996. He completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University in 2000.