Professor Rick Yost has been awarded the 2023 ABRF Award for Outstanding Contributions to Biomolecular Technologies. Dr. Yost is University Professor Emeritus and directs the Southeast Center for Integrated Metabolomics and the NIH National Metabolomics Consortium. He has received the ASMS Award for Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry, the MSACL Award for Distinguished Contribution to Clinical Mass Spectrometry, the Florida Academy of Sciences Medal, and the Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award. He has also been inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Inventors
This prestigious award was established in 1994 by the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) to recognize scientific pioneers who are responsible for making transformative advances that serve as foundations for the modern biological research enterprise. As ABRF explains, “Technology is a driving force behind scientific advancements. As new approaches to investigating the natural world are conceived, developed, and implemented, new possibilities emerge — opening doors that otherwise would have remained locked. The ABRF Award recognizes those pioneers responsible for developing powerful new tools that form the foundation upon which the modern biomolecular research enterprise thrives.” Past recipients include five Nobel Laureates; Professor Yost is the first awardee from UF.
The award, along with an honorarium and a plaque, was presented at the ABRF 2023 Annual Meeting in Boston during a symposium on May 8. Professor Yost was selected, along with Professor Chris Enke, as the 2023 award recipients in “recognition of their development of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and the tremendous impact triple quads have made for a wide range of biomedical research applications”.