Dieter Seebach

Dieter Seebach is a renowned organic chemist and former Full Professor at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) and Justus Liebig University Giessen. He served as a Full Professor at ETH Zurich from 1977 until his retirement in 2003, and currently holds the title of 'Akademischer Gast' (Academic Guest) at ETH. His academic journey includes a B.S. (1961) and Ph.D. (1964) from the University of Karlsruhe, followed by postdoctoral research with E.J. Corey at Harvard University.

His research focuses on synthetic methodology, stereochemistry, chiral compounds, and β-peptides. He pioneered the TADDOL chiral auxiliary system and contributed to the development of umpolung chemistry. His work has led to 790 research papers and 150 Ph.D. theses under his supervision.

Seebach has received numerous awards, including the King Faisal International Prize in Science (1999), the Tetrahedron Prize (2003), and membership in prestigious academies like the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2007). He held visiting professorships at institutions worldwide, including Harvard and Caltech, and served on editorial and advisory boards for journals and chemical societies.

His career includes leadership roles, such as Director of the Laboratorium für Organische Chemie at ETH Zurich and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at ETH. He has also been a consultant for companies like Sandoz/Novartis and Firmenich, influencing both academia and industry.