Author: xpan

Dr. Haishun Du, a Research Associate in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at UW–Madison working in Professor Xuejun Pan’s lab, has been selected as one of five recipients of the prestigious 2024 Young Investigator Award from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS). The IJMS Young Investigator Award recognizes outstanding early-career scientists worldwide who have made significant contributions to the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biomaterials. Dr. Du is honored for his pioneering research in sustainable lignocellulosic materials, specifically focusing on the sustainable preparation of lignocellulose nanomaterials and their multifunctional applications in food packaging, sensors, and energy devices.

Kun Liu, Jiansong Chen, Haishun Du, and Prof. Pan attended the 2024 AIChE Meeting held from October 27 to 31 in San Diego, CA. Jiansong won the Graduate Student Award, Haishun won the Young Investigator Award, and Prof. Pan was elected as an AIChE fellow.

Prof. Pan was interviewed by WPR (Wisconsin Public Radio) about the research on lignin-based BPA published in Nature by Dr. Ning Li. https://www.wpr.org/news/uw-madison-research-bpa-alternative

Prof. Pan was elected as a fellow of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). https://www.aiche.org/chenected/2024/07/meet-some-aiches-recently-elected-fellows

Dr. Sonali Mohapatra (Postdoc) was interviewed by an Indian media, B Talkz (Business Talkz). https://www.businesstalkz.com/2024/07/sonali-mohapatra-trailblazing.html

Dr. Ning Li (2018 Ph.D.) developed an innovative process to produce biobased bisphenols, the feedstock for polycarbonates, epoxy resins, and vinyl ester resins currently produced from petroleum, from lignin in wood with the co-production of high-grade pulp for cellulose products and hemicellulose-based chemicals. The research paper was published in Nature (2024, 630, 381–386). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07446-5. This story was highlighted and reported by WEI (Wisconsin Energy Institute, https://energy.wisc.edu/news/uw-madison-grad-turns-biomass-safe-replacement-bpa) and WPR (Wisconsin Public Radio, https://www.wpr.org/news/uw-madison-research-bpa-alternative).