Smart Scientists

Shouxun “Shawn” Zhao joined BASF in 2009, and today, he leads the Structure Elucidation team in Analytical and Material Sciences. He uncovers unknown chemicals and resolves issues in production, research and development, and with customers. Learn more about this Smart Scientist and his work in the following article.

Julius Heidlas works at BASF in the exciting and innovative field of hydrometallurgy. Learn more about our new Smart Scientist, hydrometallurgy and the challenges and opportunities it brings in this new profile.

Adriana Pullin leads the North American efforts around pigment and color innovation in automotive coatings. Learn all about her position, the challenges and opportunities that come with it and more in this new article.

A chemical engineer and math enthusiast–Keith Task has been engaged in data analytics at BASF since 2015, working in collaboration with other scientists to develop and improve materials and processes and make experimentation more effective. Learn all about his work and the challenges he faces in this article

As Applications Laboratory Manager, Nitin Swarnakar is tasked with providing customers with the know-how they need to develop effective medication. Discover all about his role and his most recent project in this new article.

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering Samantha Gee is the new sustainability lead in the North America Chemical and Process Engineering group at BASF, analyzing and propelling sustainable solutions across the company. Learn all about her responsibilities, challenges and hopes for the future.

Originally from Indonesia, Elly Soeryapranata traveled to the U.S. to pursue her postgraduate studies and began working at BASF in 2005. Today, she is in charge of researching quality traits in fruits and vegetables, including flavor, color, texture, firmness, shelf life, and nutrition.

Padma Prabodh Varanasi, Ph.D., leads the Application Technology and Tech Service group of the Industrial Formulators business, which tests and finds thousands of components in formulations.

Melissa Scranton, Ph.D., and her team at the BASF research and development lab in San Diego are working towards more sustainable products. Who are their allies in doing so? Enzymes.

Originally from Syria, Dr. Alaaeddin Alsbaiee has worked for various academic institutions and companies around the globe. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry at the University of Damascus, Syria, and completed a master’s program in Organic Chemistry at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. After two more academic stops in North America and research roles at several chemical companies, he recently joined BASF as Lab Leader and Senior Scientist with a passion to make things better. 

Jens Plassmeier is the Senior Team Leader for Biobased Chemicals at BASF’s R&D site in Tarrytown, NY. Originally from Germany, Jens has been living in the U.S. for almost 10 years and has gained a reputation as a research expert in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Together with his Biobased Chemicals team, he is working on the development of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) to improve infant nutrition. 

On Valentine’s Day many of us turn our thoughts to hearts and love. For Pei-Ying Wu, every day is about hearts. As a protein scientist, she supports BASF’s and Cargill’s joint biotechnology project on omega-3 producing canola. While the fatty acids have a favorable impact on human health and heart health in particular, they are a rare find in human nutrition. By supporting the regulatory approval of the enriched canola in different countries, Pei-Ying helps more hearts benefit from this innovation.

Around the world, a child dies from malaria every two minutes – a tragic statistic Dr. James W. Austin is trying to fight. As a research expert for insects and biological pest systems, James is part of the team behind BASF’s Interceptor mosquito nets to eradicate vector-borne diseases – those caused by parasites transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects. While an entomologist does not seem to be a common profession within a chemical company, James has been working for BASF for more than 11 years. 

He is a polymer scientist who turned in his lab coat for business attire: As a science scout, Josh Speros is on the hunt for the next big innovation for BASF on the West Coast. Within BASF’s California Research Alliance, he drives collaborative research projects for advanced materials and systems by connecting BASF experts and university scientists. Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. 

Sometimes a simple question leads to big findings. That is what Amber Hubschmitt and Stella Betancourt experienced with their recent study of the science of Hair Moisturization. The consumer scientist and the mass spectrometry scientist wanted to find out what “moisture” means to customers. They solved the myth of hair moisturization and at the same time, gave an underserved consumer group a voice. 

Liying Wang developed a passion for new polymeric materials while she was a Ph.D. student at the Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany. Since joining BASF in 2011, this passion has driven her to dive deeply in the polyurethane (PU) world. The latest highlight: her project team developed smart PU foams tailored to the specific needs of football players. These smart foams improve the performance of protective gear such as helmets, shoulder pads and masks.

Flowers are the most popular gift on Valentine’s Day, with sales of up to $2 billion dollars in the U.S. every year. To produce such a high number of quality roses, daisies and lilies, greenhouses and nurseries rely on comprehensive solutions to protect plants from a broad range of pests. BASF scientists Renee Keese and Emma Lookabaugh help producers flourish right in time by developing herbicides, fungicides and insecticides for the ornamentals business.

Anthony Debellis has been contributing to chemical research for more than 30 years, though he rarely spends his time in laboratories these days. The quantum chemistry scientist uses the capacities of BASF’s supercomputer Quriosity to explore molecules and simulate thousands of experiments. Like a weatherman for chemistry, he predicts the outcome of chemical processes before the actual experiment is brought to the lab.

The brilliant-blue feathers of a kingfisher, iridescent hues of butterfly wings, and metallic shimmering chitin covers of beetles – these examples of natural beauty are based on structural color. Mimicking them is both a desire and a huge challenge for chemical manufacturers, as the structures are complex. Dr. Rupa Darji, a BASF research manager, along with her team, collaborated with academics from Harvard University to fundamentally understand structural color.  

Classifying and sorting materials – whether for product optimization or specifically for recycling – can be both challenging and costly. Founded in 2015, BASF’s start-up, trinamiX GmbH, is focused on innovative sensing technologies used in both classifying and recycling. Brian Schmatz, Business Development Manager for trinamiX North America, is working to ensure that barriers to recycling are removed. From animal nutritionists to recyclers to wineries, Schmatz helps customers utilize trinamiX to solve their most challenging problems.

Her research subject is tiny, her research impact is huge – Dr. Jeanne Hankett manages BASF’s North American Microplastic Research Network and is working with hundreds of research colleagues across the country to gain scientific insight on plastic particles. The senior scientist holds a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Michigan. Her analytical microplastic laboratory efforts help develop scientific methods to better characterize and understand plastic pollution, one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Do anti-aging skin care products actually work? As a clinical scientist, Melissa Gerwitz takes a close look at wrinkles, lines and dark spots to ensure BASF product claims are true. She holds a degree in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from Syracuse University and has spent several years in academic research. As the last hurdle before a new product gets the pass to the market, Melissa determines if years of research tests out as validated.