Champaign, Illinois - February 2, 2025 - ISS is proud to announce that Luke D. Lavis has been named 2025 Gregorio Weber Award Winner for Excellence in Fluorescence Theory and Applications

Dr. Luke D. Lavis, Senior Group Leader and Head of Molecular Tools and Imaging at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Gregorio Weber Award for Excellence in Fluorescence Theory and Applications.

Dr. Lavis has made transformative contributions to the field through his pioneering work on the design and synthesis of small-molecule fluorescent dyes. His innovations include the widely used Janelia Fluor® dyes, which have empowered researchers worldwide to probe complex biological processes with unprecedented precision. As a champion of the Open Science movement, Dr. Lavis has shared reagents developed in his lab freely with thousands of scientists, fostering collaboration and accelerating advancements in fluorescence research.

Luke D. Lavis’s journey is as inspiring as his scientific achievements. A first-generation college student from Jacksonville, Oregon, he earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Oregon State University in 2000, where he began his research in synthetic organic chemistry. After a four-year tenure in the biotech industry, he pursued a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, developing chemical tools for cellular imaging. Forgoing a traditional postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Lavis embarked on an independent research career at Janelia Research Campus, where he was promoted to his current leadership role in 2017. His dedication to advancing science also led to the founding of Eikon Therapeutics in 2019, translating fundamental discoveries into medical breakthroughs.

Dr. Lavis joins a distinguished list of past recipients whose work has shaped fluorescence science. The award will be presented at The Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at the Fluorescence Biological Subgroup. 8:30 am - 12:30 pm