Leonidas Zervas

Leonidas Zervas (, ; 21 May 1902 – 10 July 1980) was a Greek organic chemist who made seminal contributions in peptide chemical synthesis. Together with his mentor Max Bergmann they laid the foundations for the field in 1932 with their major discovery, the Bergmann-Zervas carboxybenzoxy oligopeptide synthesis which remained unsurpassed in utility for the next two decades. The carboxybenzyl group discovered by Zervas is introduced by reaction with benzyl chloroformate, originally in aqueous sodium carbonate solution at 0 °C: and the main conference hall of the National Hellenic Research Foundation is called the "Leonidas Zervas amphitheatre".

The European Peptide Society has established the Leonidas Zervas Award "in commemoration of his outstanding contributions to peptide science", awarded biennially since 1988. The award is given to the "scientist who has made the most outstanding contributions to the chemistry, biochemistry and/or biology of peptides in the five years preceding the date of selection".