This year’s award honors his role in the conception, development, and application of pneumatically assisted electrospray ionization—a key advancement in the field. In addition to the recognition, the honor also includes a $10,000 prize.
Henion used his award lecture as an opportunity to illustrate the real-world impact of LC–MS, highlighting how his work, and that of others, has intersected with high-profile forensic investigations—including the O.J. Simpson murder trial and the case of Pasadena’s Lamb Funeral Home, which provides the scientific backdrop for The Mortician. He also discussed the technology’s role in veterinary forensics, noting its effectiveness in investigating cases of animal poisoning.
Henion also paid tribute to some of the field’s most influential chemists, including John B. Fenn—the namesake of the award he received and 2002 Nobel Laureate for developing electrospray ionization—as well as highlighting Patrick Arpino’s iconic “difficult courtship” drawing, which vividly illustrated the fundamental challenges of coupling liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry.
“I encourage young people interested in MS to take chances, follow their hunches, be brave and foolish, and challenge the way it has always been done,” he said. “Two heads are better than one. There’s so much more that you can do when you connect with other folks.”
‘The Journey is The Reward’
Henion emphasized the vital role that collaboration plays in advancing scientific progress, stressing that breakthrough innovations and impactful discoveries rarely emerge from isolated efforts. Instead, they are the result of close partnerships and the open exchange of expertise. He also highlighted the importance of embracing and enjoying the journey throughout the process, viewing collaboration not just as an end, but as an integral part of scientific success and the translation of research into real-world applications.
In this spirit of collaboration, Henion highlighted the contributions that many analytical chemists have made to the development of LC–MS, including Tom Covey, principal research scientist at SCIEX, who was instrumental in pioneering key technologies such as the Turbo V ion source and the SelexION device. He also highlighted his collaborative work with Jianyi Cai on online immunoaffinity extraction coupled with column capillary liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for trace analysis of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) analogs and metabolites in human urine.
He emphasized the importance of teamwork not only within his own research but also through partnerships with other scientists and industry leaders.
“I am proud to have been a stepping stone in the path to success of my graduate students and postdocs,” he said. “Collaboration with colleagues and industry provided amazing opportunities and enjoyment.”
