Professor Jan Reedijk is a world-renowned chemist celebrated for his transformative contributions to inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry. Born in Westmaas, Netherlands on August 3, 1943, he completed his entire academic formation at Leiden University, earning his PhD in chemistry in 1968 with a thesis titled "Methyl cyanide as a ligand" under the supervision of Dr. W.L. Groeneveld. After serving as junior instructor and instructor at Leiden from 1964 to 1968, he held a senior lecturer position at Delft University of Technology from 1972 to 1979 before returning to Leiden as Professor of Chemistry. His leadership culminated in 1993 when he established the Leiden Institute of Chemistry and served as its founding director, shaping the department's research direction for decades.
Professor Reedijk's pioneering research has fundamentally advanced the field of coordination chemistry with significant impact on bioinorganic chemistry, particularly through his investigations of biomimetic catalysis, molecular materials, and medicinal inorganic chemistry. His prolific scholarly output encompasses over 1200 publications spanning from 1965 to 2022, which have accumulated more than 60,000 citations and an impressive h-index of 96, demonstrating his substantial influence on chemical sciences worldwide. His groundbreaking work on metal-DNA interactions and models for metalloproteins has provided critical insights into biochemical processes and potential therapeutic applications, bridging fundamental chemistry with biological systems. As an exceptional mentor, he has nurtured generations of scientists, supervising 90 PhD students, 100 postdoctoral researchers, and over 250 MSc students who have established distinguished careers across academia and industry.
Beyond his research and teaching, Professor Reedijk has played a pivotal role in shaping global chemistry through extensive service in international organizations, most notably with IUPAC where he served continuously from 1978 to 2023. His leadership as IUPAC President from 2014 to 2018 and his co-chairmanship of the worldwide celebrations for the International Year of the Periodic Table 2019 demonstrated his commitment to advancing chemical sciences on a global scale. His numerous accolades, including the prestigious Max Planck Research Award in Bioinorganic Chemistry (1992), election to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (1996), and an honorary doctorate from Nicolaus Copernicus University (2023), reflect his enduring impact on the field. Even in his emeritus status since 2013, he continues to contribute actively through research consultation, editorial work for Pure and Applied Chemistry, and fostering international collaborations that push the boundaries of chemical knowledge.
