John Waugh, Institute Professor emeritus, dies at 85
John S. Waugh, an MIT Institute Professor emeritus and professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, died Friday, Aug. 22, at the age of 85. Waugh was an authority in chemical physics, known internationally for his work in magnetic resonance. Waugh’s pioneering work in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) made it possible to study the molecular structures of proteins involved in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, diabetes, and many other disorders. NMR uses the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei to unravel the structures and dynamics of substances containing those nuclei. In NMR, the magnetic moments of atomic nuclei are stimulated with static and radiofrequency magnetic fields, and give rise to signals useful in a variety of applications — from medical imaging to spectroscopy. “He was an extremely humble giant in the development of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy,” said Sylvia Ceyer, head of MIT’s Department of Chemistry. “His keen wit, razor sharp intellect,...