Gordon Gribble is the Dartmouth Professor of Chemistry at Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA. His research program covers several areas of organic chemistry, most of which involve synthesis, including novel indole chemistry, triterpenoid synthesis, DNA intercalation, and new synthetic methodology. Prof. Gribble also has a deep interest in naturally occurring organohalogen compounds and in the chemistry of wine and wine making.Alan Aitken is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of St Andrews, UK. Much of his research activity has been in the area of heterocyclic chemistry and he has been active in the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry, attending all but two of their biennial congresses since 1985, contributing an annual review chapter to Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry since 1990 and being an elected member of their International Advisory Committee 1997–99 and 2011–17. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Executive Committee and Publicity Chair for ISHC.