On 3 October 2025, MDPI hosted the Tu Youyou Award Ceremony and Scholar Salon in Chicago, Illinois. These events brought together over forty scholars, researchers, and academics to celebrate academic excellence and outstanding contributions to natural product chemistry and medicinal chemistry. This gathering was held at the Study at the University of Chicago located on 60^th Street in the heart of the university campus. Scholars engaged in discussion, academic exchange, and networking throughout the day, contributing to MDPI’s continual commitment to the scientific community.

The morning session  began with opening remarks by Chief Operating Officer, Alistair Freeland, and the 2024 Tu Youyou Award was introduced by Prof. Dr. Thomas Prisinzano. Established in 2016, the Tu Youyou Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of those with impactful work in the fields of natural product chemistry and medicinal chemistry. In 2024, this award was presented to Prof. Dr. Richard DiMarchi for his work in advancing peptide medicinal chemistry as applied to metabolic diseases and the transformative treatment of obesity, and Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller  for his work in advancing microbial natural product isolation and biosynthesis, industrial microbiology, and biotechnology. ​ Each laureate accepted the award and delivered a presentation on their research. Unfortunately, Dr. Rolf Müller was unable to join the event in person but was able to accept the award virtually.

Award committee members Prof. Dr. Binghe Wang, Prof. Dr. Wei Li, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Prisinzano then presented on relevant hot topics in the field such as the therapeutic utility of carbon monoxide, development of anti-mitotic agents, and synthetic opioid rescue agents. Dr. Stefan Gafner, representing the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, congratulated the two awardees and gave a brief introduction to society. Following the address, Summer Huggard, the Operations Manager, announced the opening date for nominations for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award, marking the successful closure of the morning session.

The Chicago Scholar Salon, which had over forty attendees, began at 1:30 p.m. with registration and coffee, giving participants the opportunity to meet and network before the official session began. At 2:00 p.m., Alistair Freeland delivered opening remarks. He continued with a presentation offering a comprehensive overview of MDPI’s achievements, the latest developments, and the organization’s future direction.

Following this, Summer Huggard took the floor to walk attendees through the MDPI editorial process, shedding light on how the publisher manages submissions, peer review, and publication workflow.

MDPI took the opportunity to recognize outstanding efforts through the Best Contribution Award. This segment honored individuals who have made significant contributions to MDPI’s journals, particularly through peer review and editorial support.  

The following four winners were recognized at the 2025 Chicago Scholar Salon:

• Prof. Dr. Arun Bhunia, Department of Food Science, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, USA;
• Prof. Dr. Bill Baker, Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, USA;
• Prof. Dr. David Arditi, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA;
• Prof. Dr. Eric Beyer, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, USA.

After the coffee break, the session resumed with a talk on MDPI’s ethics and research integrity led by Barnaby Crook, Journal Relations Specialist, emphasizing MDPI’s commitment to transparency and high ethical standards.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the roundtable discussion, where editorial board members engaged in a lively and open exchange with MDPI representatives. Panelists included Alistair Freeland, Elvis Wang, Summer Huggard, and Barnaby Crook, who addressed questions, shared insights, and discussed future opportunities for collaboration.

The day concluded with closing remarks by Summer Huggard, followed by a dinner which offered a relaxing setting for further discussion and networking.

Looking Ahead
The Tu Youyou Award Ceremony and Scholar Salon were a prosperous collaboration between MDPI and the Chicago academic community. We would like to extend our thanks to those who were able to attend to make this event successful and engaging. We look forward to connecting with scholars at the Los Angeles Salon next month and continuing to grow our outreach and efforts to support scientific excellence in 2026.