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Alumnus Xiaoli Wang, Ph.D., from Agilent Technologies Inc. has been selected as the first winner of Young Investigator Award from the Chinese American Chromatography Association (CACA). This award will be awarded annually to an outstanding scientist who has made exceptional contributions to the development of separation science and its applications.
Wang earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Peking University in 2001, and a doctorate in analytical chemistry in 2006 from the University of Minnesota under the tutelage of Professor Peter Carr. He was co-advised by Department of Chemistry Professor Kent Mann.
For more than two years, Wang worked on a collaborative project with Carr and Mann to develop novel chiral stationary phases for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by using chiral transition metal complexes.
“It was a great match between Pete and Kent's expertise,” said Wang. “That experience gave me a lot of appreciation of synthetic chemistry and making stationary phases. The project was a brilliant idea, involved challenging research, and was fantastic learning opportunity,” he said.
Wang later worked with Carr on HPLC method optimization, which gave him a solid understanding of chromatography.
He pursued a career in industry by working at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals from 2006 to 2010, where he implemented ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) in new drug development. He has worked at Agilent Technologies since 2010, where he developed new bonded phases and columns for pharmaceutical analysis. Wang is currently a research and development manager in the Agilent CrossLab Group in Wilmington DE, working to develop develop novel stationary phases for HPLC.
Wang’s contributions to the separation science included the following: developed a step-wise approach to maximize peak capacities for complex separations; extended the concept of Poppe plot for gradient separation; developed high speed two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC) for proteomic analysis; characterized and developed multiple novel bonded phases including the commercially successful Poroshell HPH (high-pH stable superficial porous particles).
He has published 17 peer-reviewed journal articles and presented more than 30 podia and poster presentations at international conferences. His technical and management capabilities were amply demonstrated by his successes in numerous new products development, his leadership positions at the Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley and the Eastern Analytical Symposia, his short courses in 2DLC, and the impact of his publications.
The CACA 2016 Young Investigator Award will be presented to Wang at the Pittcon Conference & Expo, March 6-10, in Atlanta, GA.
CACA is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote networking and career development for its members. CACA hosts frequent webinars and dinner events at Pittcons and HPLC Conferences to provide forums for sharing technical information in separation sciences and the development of cooperative relationships. Additional information is available at www.ca-ca.org.