JAAS News

We are delighted to announce George L. Donati as the recipient of the JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2020. This Lectureship aims to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career.

Introducing George L. Donati, Wake Forest University, USA:

George L. Donati obtained his M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar, Brazil, 2004), and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Wake Forest University (WFU, USA, 2010), where he received The American Institute of Chemists’ Outstanding Graduate Student Award. During his postdoctoral fellowship at UFSCar, George contributed to the development of the interference standard method (IFS). He is currently an Associate Research Professor at the Department of Chemistry of Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, NC, where he developed the methods of multi-energy calibration (MEC), multi-isotope calibration (MICal), multispecies calibration (MSC) and multi-flow calibration (MFC), and contributed to developing the standard dilution analysis method (SDA). George has supervised three Ph.D. students and several undergraduate students at WFU. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Microchemical Journal, has published more than 80 peer-review papers and 3 book chapters, and has given more than 10 talks in international conferences. His research at WFU focus on the development of portable instrumentation and novel calibration methods for spectrochemical analysis, as well as the use of atomic spectrometry and advanced statistical tools to diagnose and understand diseases.

The 15^th Rio Symposium on Atomic Spectrometry was held between 6-11 October, in Mendoza, Argentina

Our journal, Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (JAAS) was happy to award four best oral awards at the symposium.

Here are some photographs of the winners, taken with Dr Patricia Smichowski, Dr Erico Flores and Dr Rodolfo Wuilloud.

Monday session:

Winner: Barbora Štádlerová

Institution: Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences / Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract title: “Atomization of bismuthane and sensitive bismuth determination of atomic fluorescence spectrometry”

Tuesday session:

Winner: Mauricio Llaver

Institution: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Research and Development (QUIANID), ICB-CONICET/UNCUYO, Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract title: “A highly efficient ionic liquid-assisted cloud point extraction technique for preconcentration and speciation analysis of tellurium in environmental samples using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry”

Thursday session:

Winner: Gilberto S. Coelho Junior

Institution: Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

Abstract title: “Dielectric barrier discharge-assisted determination of methylmercury in atmospheric particulate matter by AAS”

Friday session:

Winner: Wiliam Boschetti

Institution: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil

Abstract title: “Sulfur determination using the SiS molecule via HR-CS GF MAS and direct solid samples analysis: a reliable method for different matrices”

JAAS Deputy Editor Rebecca Brodie (pictured below) attended the symposium and gave a RSC presentation “How to publish with impact”. The presentation was well attended and we hope to be receiving some exciting articles in the future.

We are delighted to announce Marta Costas Rodríguez as the recipient of the JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2019. This Lectureship aims to recognise and support an emerging

Marta Costas Rodríguez

scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career.

Introducing Marta Costas Rodríguez, Ghent University, Belgium:

Marta Costas Rodríguez obtained her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Vigo (Spain) in 2011, where she was awarded with the Extraordinary Doctorate Award (Sciences scope). Her work focused on the development of analytical methods for elemental analysis by spectrometric techniques. Since 2012, she is a postdoctoral researcher (currently with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Flemish Research Foundation FWO – Flanders) in the ‘Atomic & Mass Spectrometry – A&MS’ research group of Prof. Frank Vanhaecke at Ghent University (Belgium). Her research at UGent is mainly dealing with high-precision isotopic analysis in biomedicine. She has supervised 3 Master and 2 PhD students and is currently guiding another 2 PhD students in this field. She is (co)author of 50 peer-reviewed international papers and 4 book chapters and has given some 50 presentations on conferences. Her current research interests are elemental and isotopic analysis by single- and multi-collector ICP-MS and bioimaging with LA-ICP-MS.

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2019 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship. This Lectureship was launched to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career and we received many exceptional and highly deserving nominations this time around.

Congratulations to Marta Costas-Rodriguez, University of Ghent, Belgium!

Lectureship award details

As a winner of the lectureship, Marta will be able to present her research at a relevant high-profile international meeting and receive a contribution of £2000 to cover associated travel and accommodation costs. She will be awarded a certificate and invited to contribute a paper to JAAS.

You can read more about the selection process in the call for nominations post.

We will be posting more information about our winner soon!

We are delighted to announce we are welcoming nominations for the next JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship. The lectureship is awarded to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career. You can read about the previous winner here.

Lectureship details

The recipient of the lectureship will present their research at a relevant high-profile international meeting (to be agreed with the Editorial Office) and receive a contribution of £2000 to cover associated travel and accommodation costs. They will be awarded a certificate and asked to contribute a Primary Research or Review Article to JAAS.

Eligibility

The lectureship is open worldwide to researchers working in atomic spectrometry within the scope of JAAS who are at an early stage of their independent career. The nominee has to be under ten years* from gaining their PhD and those who hold a senior permanent position are not eligible for the award. (*Appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break or followed a different study path.) The nominee should also have a level of engagement with the journal JAAS and be a published author in it.

Nominations

Nominations must be received by the Editorial Office by February 28th 2019; researchers cannot nominate themselves and members of the Editorial Board judging panel are not eligible to receive the lectureship.

Nominations must include:

• A letter of recommendation, including achievements and evidence of research independence of the nominee
• A brief biography of the nominee, including a summary of education and career
• A list of relevant publications, highlighting those of particular significance as judged by the nominator

Selection

The Editorial Office will screen each nomination for eligibility and draw up a shortlist of candidates based on the nomination documents provided. The lectureship winner will be selected by the JAAS Editorial Board based on the originality, quality, impact and significance of the candidate’s research, as highlighted in their nomination.

Submit a nomination

To make a nomination please send the Editorial Office a letter of recommendation, nominee biography and publication list no later than February 28th 2019.

For any queries, please contact the Editorial Office at jaas-rsc@rsc.org.

The Gordon F. Kirkbright bursary award is a prestigious annual award that assists a promising early career scientist of any nation to attend a recognised scientific meeting or visit a place of learning. (We define early career as being either a student, or an employee in a non-tenured academic post or in industry, within 7 years of award of PhD excluding career breaks).

The fund for this bursary was established in 1985 as a memorial to Professor Gordon Kirkbright in recognition of his contributions to analytical spectroscopy and to science in general. Although the fund is administered by the Association of British Spectroscopists (ABS) Trust, the award is not restricted to spectroscopists, but is open to all involved with or utilising analytical science-based techniques.

Applications are invited for the 2019 Gordon Kirkbright Bursary.

An Application Form can be downloaded from:

http://www.abstrust.org/kirkirkbright-bursary-award-application-form

or for further information visit:

http://www.abstrust.org/, or contact abstrustuk@gmail.com

The closing date for entries is 30 November 2018.

Marcia Foster Mesko

We are delighted to announce Márcia Foster Mesko as the recipient of the JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2018. This Lectureship aims to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career.

Introducing Márcia Foster Mesko, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil:

Márcia Foster Mesko was born in Canguçu city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. She concluded her PhD in Chemistry at Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, in 2008, and has been an Associate Professor at Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Brazil, since 2009. Currently, she is the Deputy Director of the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Brazilian Chemical Society, Coordinator of the Chemistry Committee at the Foundation for Supporting Research of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (FAPERGS), and also Coordinator of the Biochemistry and Bioprospecting Postgraduate Program at UFPel. She has supervised 10 master and 2 PhD students, has presented at several conferences in national and international scientific meetings and has received more than 15 national and international awards, including the L’Oreal Brazil (Young Woman in Science, Brazilian Academy of Science, UNESCO). She has published 80 peer-reviewed international papers, 15 national and international book chapters and 4 patents of innovation. She has experience in analytical chemistry for the development of methods for atomic spectrometry, sample preparation, food and environmental analysis, speciation analysis, and quality control of pharmaceutical and other industrial products.

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2018 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship. This Lectureship was launched to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career and we received many exceptional and highly deserving nominations this year.

Congratulations to Márcia Mesko, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil!

Lectureship award details

As a winner of the lectureship, Márcia will be able to present her research at a relevant high-profile international meeting and receive a contribution of £2000 to cover associated travel and accommodation costs. She will be awarded a certificate and invited to contribute a paper to JAAS.

You can read more about the selection process in the call for nominations post.

We will be posting more information about our winner soon!

The Lester W. Strock Award is given by the New England Section of the Society of Applied Spectroscopy in recognition of a selected publication of substantive research in/or application of analytical atomic spectrochemistry in the fields of earth science, life sciences, or stellar and cosmic sciences.

This year’s winner is none other than former JAAS Editorial Board Chair, and current Advisory Board Member, Frank Vanhaecke.

Frank received a PhD from Ghent University (Belgium) in 1992. Currently, he is Senior Full Professor in Analytical Chemistry at Ghent University, where he leads the ‘Atomic & Mass Spectrometry – A&MS’ research group that is specialized in the determination, speciation and isotopic analysis of (trace) elements via ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). His group studies fundamentally-oriented aspects of the technique and develops methods for solving challenging scientific problems in an interdisciplinary context.

Nowadays, specific topics of research include the direct bulk and spatially resolved analysis (including depth profiling and 2- and 3-dimensional elemental mapping) of solid materials by means of ICP-MS using laser ablation (LA) for sample introduction, the development of speciation strategies based on HPLC-ICP-MS for ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) studies in cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry and isotopic analysis using multi-collector ICP-MS. Methods for high-precision isotopic analysis are developed for applications in, among other, the fields of archaeometry, geo- and cosmochemistry and medicine (“isotopic diagnosis”).

So far, Frank’s scientific research has resulted in ca. 350 publications in peer-reviewed journals with over 8000 citations, resulting in an h-factor of 45 (according to ISI’s Web of Science). Frank received a ‘European Plasma Spectrochemistry Award’ for his group’s contributions to this research field. In 2013, he was designated ‘Fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy – SAS’.

Congratulations Frank!