David Titensor, University of Utah

Wesley I. Sundquist, distinguished professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, has won the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the U.s most prestigious faculty award.

SALT LAKE CITY Wesley I. Sundquist, distinguished professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, has won the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the U.s most prestigious faculty award.

The $40,000 gift is presented annually to a faculty member who displays excellence in teaching, research and administrative efforts.

The Rosenblatt Prize Committee, a group of faculty members, recommends candidates for the award. U. President David Pershing made the final selection.

Dr. Sundquists discoveries have enriched the field of biochemistry and hold enormous promise for improving human health, Pershing said in a statement. His dedication as a teacher and mentor ensures that his influence will be felt for generations to come. The University of Utah is fortunate to have a scientist and educator of his caliber, and it is a pleasure to honor him with the institutions most distinguished faculty award.

Sundquist holds a doctorate in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a postdoctoral fellow at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, and began his career at the U. in 1992 as an assistant professor in the biochemistry department. He became the Samuels Presidential Chaired Professor in 2015 and a distinguished professor in 2017.

Sundquist is chairman emeritus of the U. School of Medicine's executive committee and former chairman of the Benning Society. He has also served as co-chairman for the biochemistry department with Chris Hill since 2009.

Sundquist is internationally recognized for his research discoveries in HIV replication and fundamental processes in cell biology. His work has transformed the understanding of the architecture, assembly and budding of HIV, and his research on viral structures is leading to new strategies for HIV therapeutics that have transformative potential for human health.

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U. biochemistry professor wins Rosenblatt Prize - Deseret News