Honorary Distinguished Professor John Pickett Cbe

Professor John Pickett CBE, a fellow of the Royal Society, was nominated for the honorary title by the University’s School of Chemistry in recognition of his significant contribution to the understanding of chemical communication in the natural world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The honorary title will last for five years and will enable the School to capitalise on Professor Pickett’s wealth of expertise to further the School’s wide-ranging portfolio of research and help firmly cement its place on the international stage. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Pickett is currently Michael Elliott Distinguished Research Fellow at Rothamsted Research and is an internationally acknowledged authority on natural products that affect the behaviour and development of animals, and act as external signals for plants. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He made the first chemical characterisation of mosquito, sandfly and aphid sex pheromones and was also first to report the presence of synergy between pheromones and plant-derived semiochemicals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The impact of his work reaches far beyond the scientific community, contributing to a greater and more widespread understanding of chemical communication in natural and agricultural ecosystems. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Pickett has received a significant number of honours and awards, including the 1995 Rank Prize for Nutrition and Crop Husbandry, and the International Society of Chemical Ecology’s 2002 Silver Medal. In 2004, he was awarded a CBE for his services to biological chemistry, the 2008 Wolf Prize in Agriculture and in 2014 he was elected Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Pickett said: “I am delighted to receive this honour and besides my role in the current expanding collaborations between Chemical Ecology at Rothamsted and Cardiff University, particularly with Chemistry, I have been associated with the University since the early 1970’s and have witnessed the rapid growth of research stature in this important region of the UK.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Rudolf Allemann, Head of the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Professor Pickett has agreed to take up this prestigious role at the University. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff University’s School of Chemistry provides internationally recognised research and education that is focused on tackling the important scientific challenges of the 21st century. In the REF 2014 research assessment exercise, the School was ranked 9th in the UK, with more than 95% of its research output ranked internationally excellent or world-leading. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​