Professor Banwell is distinguished for his diverse and innovative studies in the area of chemical synthesis, as applied to the assembly of numerous structurally challenging and biologically active natural products. Using biosynthetic principles, he achieved the first fully regio- and enantio-controlled total syntheses of the troponoid alkaloids colchicine and imerubrine, and the first synthesis of the marine alkaloid lamellarin K, a lead component in the development of novel anti-cancer agents. The candidate’s creative use of cyclopropane chemistry and his inventions of new methodologies and strategies have been taken up by many groups worldwide. They include the first truly mild procedures for effecting the classical Bischler-Napieralski reaction.