Cyril Ponnamperuma

Cyril Ponnamperuma සිරිල් පොන්නම්පෙරුම
Cyril Ponnamperuma analyzing a moon sample
Born	16 October 1923 Galle, Southern Province, British Ceylon
Died	December 20, 1994(1994-12-20) (aged 71) Takoma Park, Maryland
Residence	Washington, D.C.
Nationality	Sri Lanka
Fields	Chemical evolution
Institutions	University of Maryland
Alma mater	University of Madras University of London University of California, Berkeley
Influences	Georgi Gladyshev
Notable awards	Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Dr. Cyril Andrew Ponnamperuma (Sinhala: ආචාර්ය සිරිල් ඇන්ඩෘ පොන්නම්පෙරුම) (16 October 1923 – 20 December 1994) was a Sri Lankan scientist in the fields of chemical evolution and the origin of life.

Cyril Ponnamperuma was born in Galle, Sri Lanka on 16 October 1923. After completing his early education with flying colours at St. Aloysius' College, Galle and subsequently at St. Joseph's College, Colombo, Ponnamperuma proceeded to India and in 1948 obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Madras.

Later he moved to the United Kingdom and enrolled at Birkbeck, University of London, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1959. At the same time he had the opportunity to work with Professor J. D. Bernal, a pioneering scientist engaged in research on the origin of life. Afterwards he proceeded to the United States, where in 1962 he received a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley under the direction of the Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin.

In 1962, he was honoured with a National Academy of Science resident associateship with NASA at Ames Research Center. In 1963 he joined NASA's Exobiology Division and take over the helm of the Chemical Evolution Division. He was selected as the principal investigator for analysis of lunar soil brought to earth by Project Apollo.