University at Albany, State University of New York, USA
Eric Block, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University at Albany, State University of New York is a native New Yorker. He received his PhD in chemistry from Harvard University in 1967, mentored by 1990 Nobel Laureate E.J. Corey, who first introduced him to sulfur chemistry. For the next 55+ years Block explored the chemistry of natural and non-natural organosulfur compounds, particularly those from Allium species, as well as the mechanism for detection of the odor of sulfur compounds by our sense of smell. For his research, Block was named a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, recipient of the 2016 American Chemical Society’s Ernest Guenther Award for the Chemistry of Natural Products, and Fellow of both the ACS and AAAS, among other honors. Block has authored 250+ scientific publications, including 15 coauthored with his late colleague, Richard Glass. Often in the company of Richard, Block has attended and participated in 15 previous ISOCS symposiums, beginning in 1974. Block has also authored five books, including his 1978 monograph on organosulfur chemistry and his 2010 book “Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science.” In his retirement Block is working on a new, comprehensive monograph on organosulfur chemistry to be published next year.