Keith Laidler Award

Sponsored by the CSC Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Division

This award recognizes outstanding early-career contributions to physical chemistry, for research carried out in Canada, by a scientist residing in Canada.

View the Terms of Reference and list of Past Winners

The 2024 winner of the Keith Laidler Award is:

Makhsud Saidaminov, MCIC
University of Victoria

Makhsud Saidaminov is Tier II Canada Research Chair in Advanced Functional Materials and an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria.

Dr. Saidaminov’s research mission is to contribute to addressing global energy inequality, where a small percentage of the population consumes a disproportionate amount of energy compared to the less fortunate. His team is developing a printable photovoltaic technology from novel semiconductors through self-assembly of Earth-abundant ingredients in processes that require low energy input. Dr. Saidaminov’s team also aims to make advancements in medical imaging accessibility. Recognizing the stark disparity in X-ray imaging availability in low- and middle-income countries, where a significant portion of cancer cases lacks proper diagnosis, his team is dedicated to creating sensitive, affordable, and high-resolution X-ray detectors.

As of early 2024, Makhsud has authored 12 patents and 135 peer-reviewed articles. He has been named Early Rising Star by ACS Materials Au (2022), Best Rising Star by Research.com (2023), and Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics (2021-2023).

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Past Winners