2021 Awards
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Young Scientist Awards
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SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovation Medal Award for current and breakthrough research in the field of Electrodriven Separations
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Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award for breakthrough research advancing the field of Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis
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Best Poster Awards
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See Winners Below
Young Scientist Award
The MSB Young Scientist Award is intended to give talented young scientists extra encouragement. It is presented annually during the MSB symposium to a young researcher whose outstanding work sets an example for other scientists. All presenters of an oral contribution who are less than 35 years of age at the end date of the meeting are eligible for consideration (proof of status as student or postdoctoral fellow will be required). An international jury of both young and mature scientists judge the qualified presentations and choose a winner.
Criteria for the selection of the awardee:
- Significant and original contribution to basic and/or applied research in microscale separations or bioanalysis.
- Clarity of presentation, structure of content and smoothness of flow.
- Adequacy and persuasiveness of presenting.
- Responsiveness to audience questions and ability to discuss presented work.
The prize consists of a certificate and a cash amount (subject to modifications upon the decision of the Chairs).
2021 Young Scientist Award Winners
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
4th Place
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovation Medal Award for current and breakthrough research in the field of Electrodriven Separations
The SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovations Medal and Award (previously the Arnold O. Beckman Award) is an annual award given to an individual for remarkable career achievements, with particular consideration being given to the development of new methods, techniques and high-impact applications in the field of electrodriven separations. The award is supported by SCIEX, a key driver in capillary electrophoresis technology and comprises a medal, a diploma and a monetary prize.
Recipients are chosen by a Selection Committee established by the Society for Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis (SMSB) that ranks the candidates according to the recommendation of peers and defined metrics (iCite from NIH). Evidence is presented for one or more of the following outstanding accomplishments:
- Conceptualization and development of unique instrumentation with an impact on electrodriven separations that has substantively advanced the field.
- Development of novel and important electrodriven methods or methodologies with significant beneficial applications in analytical sciences.
- Elucidation of fundamental phenomena involved in electrodriven separations.
- The work being recognized is current, meaning only research and achievements of the past 5 years are considered.
The awardee is selected by the SMSB Board before the conference. The award is presented annually during the following International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis in a special Award Plenary Session followed by a lecture from the recipient. The list of previous awardees can be found here.
The award is generously supported by SCIEX, key driver in the capillary electrophoresis business after integrating the Beckman Coulter CE team in 2013. The SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovation Medal Award for current and breakthrough research in the field of electrodriven separations is one way that SCIEX celebrates the spirit of scientific innovation that is critical to the advancement of microscale separations.
SCIEX helps to improve the world we live in by enabling scientists and laboratory analysts to find answers to the complex analytical challenges they face. The company’s global leadership and world-class service and support in capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry have made it a trusted partner to the thousands of scientists and lab analysts worldwide who are focused on basic research, drug discovery and development, food and environmental testing, forensics and clinical research.
The recipient of the SCIEX Innovation Award 2021:
Dr. Peter Willis, Group Supervisor, Chemical Analysis & Life Detection, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
Presentation title: Biosignatures, Electrophoresis, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth
Peter Willis received his doctorate in chemistry from Cornell University, after designing and building a one-ton crossed molecular beams machine that he used to probe the fundamental nature of interactions between metal atoms and organic molecules. He continued his studies through postdoctoral fellowships at Rice University and Caltech, where he expanded his scientific horizons beyond spectroscopy and chemical reaction dynamics, and into the fields of carbon nanotechnology, molecular computing, systems biology, and biosensing. In recognition of his pioneering work on carbon fullerenes with Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, on January 1st, 2000 he was highlighted by Maclean’s magazine as one of the “100 Canadians to Watch in the New Millennium”. Two years later, drawn by the inescapable pull of the search for life beyond Earth, he joined the technical staff of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Dr. Willis is currently the Group Supervisor of JPL’s Chemical Analysis and Life Detection group. His research focuses on invention of new methods and technologies capable of identifying and characterizing signatures of extraterrestrial life at the molecular level. Portable instrument systems developed in his group are validated in a variety of harsh terrestrial environments that range from high deserts and hypersaline lakes, to oceans and icy polar regions. The ultimate goal is to incorporate this technology into the payloads of robotic explorers bound for the ocean worlds of our outer solar system. To that end he has played a key role in the formulation of a variety of mission concepts to explore Titan, Enceladus, and Europa. In 2017 he co-authored the “Europa Lander Mission Science Definition Team Report”, a publication which broadly serves as a guide to life detection for all future planetary missions in our solar system. In addition to laying the foundation for these missions of the coming decades, Dr. Willis also currently serves as staff scientist for the ongoing Perseverance Mars rover mission. His primary focus is on the use of chemical and mineralogical analysis to enable the selection of the most astrobiologically promising samples for potential return to Earth for analysis in terrestrial laboratories. And finally, Dr. Willis also has a strong commitment to academics, serving as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry at University of Kansas. He is a frequent reviewer for a wide range of chemistry-related scientific journals and has mentored over 40 individuals at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels during the course of his research.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award for breakthrough research advancing the field of Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis
The Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award is the inaugural award given to an individual for remarkable research achievements, with particular consideration being given to the development of new methods, techniques, and high-impact applications in the field of microscale separations and bioanalysis. The award is supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leader in life sciences and technology products, and comprises a plaque and a monetary prize.
The recipient is chosen by a Selection Committee established by the Society for Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis (SMSB) that ranks the nominated candidates according to the recommendation of peers and defined metrics (iCite from NIH). Evidence is presented for one or more of the following outstanding accomplishments:
- Conceptualization and development of unique technologies that have substantively advanced the field of microscale separations and bioanalysis.
- Development of novel and critical instrumentation or methodologies for microscale separations and bioanalysis with significant beneficial applications in analytical sciences.
- Elucidation of fundamental phenomena involved in microscale separations and bioanalysis.
- The work being recognized is current, meaning only research and achievements of the past seven years are considered.
The deadline for nomination is May 25, 2021 to be considered for the inaugural award.
Terms of reference for the 2021 Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates must meet all of the following requirements:
- Hold a doctorate degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, or a related field and conduct research in the field of microscale separations and bioanalysis.
- As of May 25th, 2021, hold a full-time independent, tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of assistant or associate professor or equivalent in the candidate’s country, i.e., an independent pre-tenure faculty or equivalent position. Appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, visiting professor, or sessional instructor (or equivalent) are not eligible.
- Must not have been appointed as an assistant or associate professor (i.e., an independent pre-tenure faculty or equivalent position) at any institution prior to May 15th, 2016. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification, or on parental or medical leave does not count as part of this five-year limit.
- Both nominations by colleagues and self-nominations will be accepted. All inquiries about the award should be sent to shannon@barrconferences.com.
All candidates are considered in the selection process. The awardee will be announced in June 2021. The award will be presented during the 2021 International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis “MSB 2021” in a special Award Plenary Session followed by a lecture from the recipient.
Nominations: Nominations by colleagues and self-nominations will be accepted. The nomination package should include the following:
- Nomination letter indicating why the nominee should receive the award. This is the key document in the nomination and this information should be relevant to the achievements for which the award is being offered.
- Biographical Sketch that provides background information on the nominee and summarizes past accomplishments (this is a 1-5 page summary of the information provided in the CV).
- Nominee’s CV and list of publications.
How to Submit Nomination Package:
- Complete and submit the nomination form.
- Include the nominee’s name in the file name of all documents that will be uploaded as part of the nomination package. Upload within the form.
The award is generously supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a leader in life sciences and technology products. The Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award for current and breakthrough research in the field of microscale separations and bioanalysis is one way that Thermo Fisher Scientific celebrates the spirit of scientific innovation that is critical to the advancement of microscale separations and analysis.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. The Mission of Thermo Fisher Scientific is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether the customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific is there to support them. The company’s global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services.
The recipient of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Early Career Award 2021:
Prof. Liangliang Sun, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
Presentation title: Leveraging Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry for Multi-level Proteomics
Dr. Liangliang Sun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University. He joined MSU in 2016. Before that, he worked with Prof. Norman Dovichi at University of Notre Dame as a postdoctoral fellow and later a Research Assistant Professor (2011-2016). He received his Ph.D. degree in Analytical Chemistry in 2011 from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, advised by Profs. Yukui Zhang and Lihua Zhang. The Sun group aims to develop novel analytical methodologies based on capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS) for multi-level proteomics to characterize proteins (bottom-up proteomics), proteoforms (top-down proteomics), and protein complexes (native proteomics) in cells globally with high throughput, high sensitivity, and single-cell resolution. They deploy the multi-level proteomics to address important questions in developmental biology and cancer biology. He has published 100 peer-reviewed papers, which have accumulated 2300 citations (h-index: 30. Web of Science). His research group at Michigan State University has published 25 papers in the last four years. He has been recognized as an Emerging Investigator by the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry and Analytical Methods. He received the National Science Foundation CAREER AWARD in 2019.
Best Poster Awards
All posters presented at MSB 2021 will be considered in competition for an MSB 2021 Poster Award. The posters will be reviewed by an international panel of scientists and ranked based on novelty and originality of the work, creativity and potential for innovation; scope of work, technical quality of experimental design, and execution of experiments; readability of the presentation and author’s explanations. Poster awards comprise cash prizes and book vouchers. Winners will be announced and the prizes awarded during the Awards Session/Closing Ceremony.
2021 Best Poster Award Winners
