Garcia receives American Chemical Society award
Biochemist, national leader in mass spectrometry recognized for contributions to the chemistry profession
MATT MILLER/WASHU MEDICINEGarcia
Benjamin Garcia, PhD, the Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and head of the WashU Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, has received the American Chemical Society’s 2025 Saint Louis Section Award.
Garcia specializes in quantitative mass spectrometry — a tool used to identify, quantify and analyze proteins. His work has led to key observations about the regulation of cell differentiation, tissue growth and cancer development. Most notably, Garcia’s lab developed a method that allows for detailed tracking of multiple histone modifications in a single experiment. Histones are special proteins found in the cells of our body that help organize and pack DNA. His research also has implications for the gut microbiome, including the discovery that gut bacteria can use nutrients to modify histones, which affects how genes operate. Garcia is also known for his dedication to teaching and mentorship.
He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Proteome Research, the Molecular and Cellular Proteomics journal and the Molecular Omics journal. He is an associate editor for both the Analytical Chemistry and the Mass Spectrometry Reviews journals. He is also the inaugural editor-in-chief of a new journal, Insights in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which will launch in 2026. In addition, he is president-elect of the U.S. Human Proteome Organization, a professional association for proteomics researchers, and chair of the American Chemistry Society’s Analytical Chemistry Division. Garcia has been recognized with many awards, including the American Society for Mass Spectrometry Biemann Medal and a Fulbright Scholar award.
The Saint Louis Section Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the profession of chemistry and demonstrated potential to further the advancement of the chemical profession. Garcia was recognized Dec. 5 during the American Chemical Society of Saint Louis’ Award Symposium at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on the Washington University Medical Campus.
