Prof. Des Richardson receives the Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology at the ASPET 2025 Portland

Prof. Des Richardson Receives the Julius Axelrod Award at ASPET 2025, Hilton Hotel Portland

Portland, OR – 05 April 2025 — In a packed ballroom at the Hilton Hotel Portland, Australian pharmacologist Prof. Des Richardson accepted the Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics’ (ASPET) highest honour for lifetime achievement and mentoring excellence.

Established in 1991 to commemorate Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod, the award recognises “significant contributions to understanding the biochemical mechanisms underlying the pharmacological actions of drugs” and outstanding mentorship of emerging scientists. Originally administered by the Catecholamine Club, stewardship of the prize moved to ASPET in 2007, broadening its reach across all domains of experimental pharmacology.

Prof. Richardson’s trail‑blazing work on iron chelators and the tumour‑suppressor protein N‑myc‑down‑stream‑regulated‑gene‑1 (NDRG1) has reshaped our understanding of metal metabolism in cancer and spurred multiple clinical trials. Over three decades he has published more than 500 peer‑reviewed papers, secured dozens of patents, and trained a generation of investigators now leading laboratories worldwide.