Malcolm Levitt
{{short description|British chemist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Malcolm Levitt
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Malcolm Harris Levitt
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1957}}
| birth_place = Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
| education = University of Oxford (BA 1978, DPhil 1981)
| doctoral_advisor = Ray Freeman
| academic_advisors =
| workplaces = University of Southampton
| awards = Günther Laukien Prize, Russell Varian Prize, Davy Medal
}}
Malcolm Harris Levitt (born 1957) is a British physical chemist and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist. He is Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Southampton and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Malcolm Levitt {{!}} Royal Society |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/malcolm-levitt-11812/ |access-date=1 April 2019 |website=royalsociety.org |language=en-gb}} Levitt is known for his significant contributions to NMR spectroscopy, including the invention of composite pulse and composite pulse decoupling sequences in solution NMR, the development of symmetry-based recoupling and decoupling sequences in solid-state NMR, and research on long-lived nuclear spin states. He is also the author of the textbook "Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance" and has published extensively on the quantum mechanics and spectroscopy of endofullerenes. Levitt has received numerous prestigious awards for his work, including the Günther Laukien Prize in 2008, the Russell Varian Prize in 2015, and the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 2021.
Education and career
Levitt studied chemistry at the University of Oxford, at Keble College. As an undergraduate, he enjoyed lectures by Ray Freeman, who was by then already an established and prominent NMR spectroscopist. After working on an undergraduate research project with Freeman, Levitt continued to work under the supervision of Freeman for his doctorate, and since then was involved in research in the field of NMR.{{Cite journal|last1=Gil|first1=Roberto R.|last2=Dumez|first2=Jean-Nicolas|last3=Trevorrow|first3=Paul|date=20 March 2019|title=A career in NMR – An interview with Malcolm H. Levitt|journal=Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry|volume=57|issue=6|pages=272–274|language=en|doi=10.1002/mrc.4869|s2cid=108591338}}
Levitt undertook a series of international postdoctoral research stays after completing his doctorate. In 1982, he worked with Shimon Vega at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. In 1982–1985, he worked with Richard Ernst at ETH Zurich. He was a staff scientist at the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory at MIT in 1990–1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ampere-society.org/index.php?page=levitt|title=Malcolm Levitt|website=ampere-society.org|publisher=Groupement AMPERE|access-date=1 April 2019}}
He became a lecturer at Stockholm University, Sweden in 1991 and was subsequently promoted to professor. In 2001 he moved to the School of Chemistry at the University of Southampton, UK.
Research
Levitt is best known as the inventor of the composite pulse{{cite journal |last1=Levitt |first1=Malcolm H. |last2=Freeman |first2=Ray |title=NMR population inversion using a composite pulse |journal=Journal of Magnetic Resonance |year=1979 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=473–476 |doi=10.1016/0022-2364(79)90265-8|bibcode=1979JMagR..33..473L }} and composite pulse decoupling sequences{{cite journal |last1=Levitt |first1=Malcolm H |last2=Freeman |first2=Ray |title=Composite pulse decoupling |journal=Journal of Magnetic Resonance |year=1981 |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=502–507 |doi=10.1016/0022-2364(81)90066-4|bibcode=1981JMagR..43..502L }} in solution NMR. Other contributions to NMR spectroscopy include the development of symmetry-based recoupling and decoupling sequences in solid-state NMR,{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Y. K. |last2=Kurur |first2=N. D. |last3=Helmle |first3=M. |last4=Johannessen |first4=O. G. |last5=Nielsen |first5=N. C. |last6=Levitt |first6=M. H. |title=Efficient dipolar recoupling in the NMR of rotating solids. A sevenfold symmetric radiofrequency pulse sequence |journal=Chemical Physics Letters |year=1995 |volume=242 |issue=3 |pages=304–309 |doi=10.1016/0009-2614(95)00741-L|bibcode=1995CPL...242..304L }} and the use of long-lived nuclear spin states and singlet states in solution NMR.{{cite journal |last1=Levitt |first1=Malcolm H. |title=Singlet Nuclear Magnetic Resonance |journal=Annual Review of Physical Chemistry |year=2012 |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=89–105 |doi=10.1146/annurev-physchem-032511-143724|pmid=22224703 |bibcode=2012ARPC...63...89L }}
He is also the author of the textbook Spin Dynamics. Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.Levitt, Malcolm H. (2017). Spin Dynamics. Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Second Edition). Wiley {{ISBN|0-471-48921-2}}
He has also published extensively on the quantum mechanics and spectroscopy of endofullerenes. Techniques used include terahertz and infrared spectroscopy, and inelastic neutron scattering, as well as NMR.
Awards and honours
Levitt was awarded the Günther Laukien Prize in Magnetic Resonance in 2008 for his work on "optimized pulses and pulse sequences to enhance the power of liquid and solid state NMR".{{Cite web|url=http://www.enc-conference.org/LaukienRecipients/PastRecipients/tabid/73/Default.aspx|title=Past Laukien Recipients|website=enc-conference.org|access-date=1 April 2019}} He was awarded the final Russell Varian Prize in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in 2015 for his work on composite pulses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/chemistry/news/2015/07/major-international-honour.page|title=Major international honour for Malcolm Levitt, Prof {{!}} Chemistry {{!}} University of Southampton|publisher=University of Southampton|access-date=1 April 2019}} He was awarded the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 2021.
As a lecturer at Stockholm University, Levitt was awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize for Chemistry in 1996.{{Cite web|url=http://gustafssonsstiftelser.se/sid-4/stiftelse-2-kva/pristagare/|title=Pristagare – Gustafssons Stiftelser|language=sv-SE|access-date=1 April 2019}} As a postdoctoral researcher, Levitt was awarded the Latsis research prize of the ETH Zurich sponsored by the Latsis Foundation in 1985.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fondationlatsis.org/prix-latsis-universitaires-epfz|title=Prix Latsis Universitaires EPFZ {{!}} www.fondationlatsis.org|website=www.fondationlatsis.org|access-date=1 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/main/research/pdf/latsis-prize/2014_Latsis_Laureates.pdf|title=List of ETH Latsis Prize Laureates|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018093352/https://www.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/main/research/pdf/latsis-prize/2014_Latsis_Laureates.pdf|archive-date=18 October 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=1 April 2019}}
Levitt has been invited as the plenary speaker of major NMR academic conferences on multiple occasions, often in consecutive years.{{Cite web|url=https://conference.euroismar2019.org/event/1/page/11-prizes-and-awards|title=EUROISMAR 2019 (25–30 August 2019) Prize and Awards|website=EUROISMAR 2019 (25–30 August 2019)|access-date=1 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/euroismar2019/status/915974160861601793|title=Another great talk @euromar2018! Malcolm Levitt from @unisouthampton will give a plenary lecture next July #NMRchat|last=EUROISMAR 2019|date=5 October 2017|website=@euroismar2019|language=en|access-date=1 April 2019}}{{Primary source inline|date=March 2025}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ismar2017.org/p-speakers.html|title=Plenary speakers, ISMAR 2017|website=ismar2017.org|access-date=1 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=http://nmr-nl.science.uu.nl/hyperpolarizedMR|title=Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance {{!}} nmr-nl|website=nmr-nl.science.uu.nl|access-date=1 April 2019}}
Early and personal life
Levitt was born in 1957 at Hull, England. He is married and has one daughter.{{Cite web|url=http://www.malcolmhlevitt.com/|title=Malcolm H Levitt|website=malcolmhlevitt.com|access-date=1 April 2019}}
References
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Category:Scientists from Kingston upon Hull
Category:Academics of the University of Southampton
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society
Category:Alumni of Keble College, Oxford
Category:Weizmann Institute of Science alumni
Category:Academic staff of Stockholm University