NIOSH Researcher Awarded Chemist of the Year
March 29, 2019
NIOSH Update:
Contact: Nura Sadeghpour (202) 245-0673
Presented by the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society
Cincinnati, OH – NIOSH researcher Dr. Pramod Kulkarni was awarded Chemist of the Year at the March 28 meeting of the Cincinnati section of the American Chemical Society, at Miami University’s Shriver Center in Oxford. The award acknowledged Dr. Kulkarni’s work in aerosol measurement, specifically in the area of development of real-time, field-portable instruments that provide rapid information on aerosols in workplace atmospheres.
According to the American Chemical Association, the Chemist of the Year award is presented in “recognition of outstanding and significant scientific contributions to the field of chemistry or chemical education.” The award is only presented to those who are members of the Cincinnati section of the American Chemical Society.
Many workers are exposed to harmful aerosols in their workplace. Industrial activities such as manufacturing, mining, and construction, including those related to emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, and biotechnology, can produce aerosols that are potentially harmful to human health. Rapid, on-site measurement of physical characteristics and chemical composition of aerosols is important in understanding the potential health risks and for implementing effective mitigation strategies. Dr. Kulkarni’s work addresses these needs through development of portable instrumentation and sensors that provide real-time measurement of workplace aerosols. The award was presented to Dr. Kulkarni for his “many outstanding contributions to the science of aerosols, especially the development of instrumental techniques for the quantification and characterization of the aerosols in the industrial environments.”
At the meeting and award ceremony Dr. Kulkarni presented a talk on “Taking laboratory to the field: Developing the next generation of real-time instrumentation for mobile aerosol measurement in workplace atmospheres.” Dr. Kulkarni leads the Aerosol Science group in the Division of Applied Research and Technology at NIOSH. He received his doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering from the Washington University in St. Louis. He has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal publications, 8 patents, and 5 book chapters. He serves as the editor of the journal Aerosol Science and Technology, and has edited a widely used book on ‘Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques, and Applications’. His work has been recognized by several awards at NIOSH and CDC.
More information about the meeting and award can be found here.
NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries and illnesses. More information about NIOSH can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh.