Professor Michael H. Gelb, PhD, to Receive the 2026 Catalyst Award
WORLDSymposium is delighted to announce Professor Michael Gelb, PhD, as the recipient of the 3rd Annual Catalyst Award to be presented at WORLDSymposium 2026.
A chemist by training, Dr. Gelb has spent the second half of his career researching the development of new assays for expanded Newborn Screening with a focus on lysosomal diseases. The application of his research has transformed Newborn Screening on a global scale. WORLDSymposium is honored to recognize Dr. Gelb’s significant international contributions to Newborn Screening and the wide-reaching positive impact it has had on the families living with lysosomal diseases in numerous countries around the world.
Dr. Gelb studied chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Davis before taking a PhD under Stephen G. Sligar at Yale University on aspects of the catalytic mechanism of cytochrome P450. Granted an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship, he then investigated mechanism-based inactivators of serine proteases and developed fluorinated ketones as tight-binding inhibitors of several classes of proteases, working with Robert H. Abeles at Brandeis University.
Dr. Gelb is currently Professor of Chemistry and the Boris and Barbara L. Weinstein Endowed Chair in Chemistry, Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Washington. Major developments in the Gelb lab include discovery of protein prenylation, development of ICAT proteomic reagents, identification of phospholipases involved in lipid mediator generation, development of anti-parasite drugs, and development of mass spectrometry for newborn screening.
For his work, Dr. Gelb’s past Awards include: Guthrie Award (Int. Soc. of Neonatal Screening), Repligen Award in Chemistry of Biological Processes (Amer. Chem. Soc.), Univ. of Washington Faculty Lecture Award, Gustavus John Esselen Award (Harvard Univ.), AAAS Fellow, NIH Merit Award, Medicines for Malaria Project of the Year Award, Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, ICI Pharmaceuticals Award for Excellence in Chemistry.
The Gelb lab has published more than 500 papers and 100 patents in biological chemistry. The Gelb laboratory has developed mass spectrometry for worldwide newborn screening of lysosomal diseases, targeting the latest expansion of newborn screening panels.
The 2026 Catalyst Award will be presented at the WORLDSymposium 2026 Be the Catalyst event on Monday, February 2, 2026 at 17:45.
Dr. Gelb will share his pioneering research in a special keynote session on Newborn Screening on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 08:00 PST.
About the Catalyst Award
Merriam-Webster defines a catalyst as: “an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.”
The inaugural 2023 WORLDSymposium “Be The Catalyst” encouraged all attendees to be catalysts and spark change. In 2024, WORLDSymposium presented the first “Catalyst” award to Zachary Thomas, who was nominated in recognition of his efforts to instigate and expedite changes to newborn screening in Alabama. In 2025, WORLDSymposium presented the second “Catalyst” award to Ryan Colburn, who was nominated in recognition of his efforts to instigate a shift in perspective for the prevalence of Pompe disease.
Please join WORLDSymposium at the 2026 Be The Catalyst at 17:45 PST on Monday, February 2, 2026, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California, where the 2026 WORLDSymposium Catalyst Award will be presented. Then make plans to stay and join in the group photos!
Award Nominations Deadline: September 3, 2025.
Sign up for meeting updates to receive a notification when the award nominations open and when recipients are announced.
Past Award Recipients:
2025 Ryan Colburn – Prevalence of Pompe disease
2024 Zachary Thomas – Newborn Screening for MPS I