2020 led to the cancellation or virtualization of many trainings, conferences, and other events. The restructure or cancellation of these events has had both benefits and pitfalls. While moving events to a virtual platform has opened the events to those who could not typically attend, it has also impeded the networking aspects of these events. The networking that led to free-flowing discussion of ideas and collaboration of great minds.
RheoSense has designed a single day event to facilitate discussion of rheology fundamentals with a focus on viscosity applications. With a target audience made up of both industry and academia, our goal is to share viscosity applications and build awareness of the significance of viscosity across various industries. We have compiled a list of speakers across a wide array of industries who are excited to share their expertise and how viscosity applications are significant in their field.
Our presentations include:
University of Texas at Austin professor Keith Paul Johnston, PhD, and graduate research assistant Amjad Chowdhury will be discussing the effect of pH and additional cosolutes on the viscosity of antibody solutions, and characterizing the underlying interactions and clustering that determine viscosity using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, and shear rheology. Keith received his PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Illinois. He has been awarded the Allan P. Colburn Award (excellent in publication for a researcher under 35) and the Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology from AIChE. He conducts fundamental research combining materials chemistry, colloid and interface science and protein/polymer science and has discovered/co-discovered various nanomaterials including silicon nanowires, and low viscosity therapeutic protein nanoparticles in organic solvents. Over the last decade his group, with Tom Truskett, has been developing an understanding of the structure and interactions of proteins at high concentration with a variety of techniques and models in order to design improved formulations to lower the viscosity and enhance the protein stability.
Bristol Myers Squibb Scientist, Barton Dear, will be sharing the use of viscosity in the development of pharmaceutical biologics. He will share why understanding the entire product viscosity profile is essential for any high concentration biologic and how viscosity affects production and processing during filtration as well as administration of the product. Barton received his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin where he worked as both a Graduate Research and a Graduate Teaching Assistant. In his time at the University of Texas at Austin he taught undergraduate students Thermodynamics, and Unit Operations
and taught graduate students Advanced Thermodynamics.
Carl Aften, PhD, and Principal Polymer Scientist at SNF Holding Company will be sharing factors effecting the viscosity of high molecular weight water soluble polymers. Dr. Aften has been responsible for product introduction mainly of high molecular weight water soluble polymers and has been using instruments from RheoSense since 2011. Carl received a PhD in Polymer Physical Chemistry from Texas A&M. He has been responsible for product introduction of high molecular weight water soluble polymers, mainly drag reducers, gelling and viscosifiers, but also clay stabilizers, biocides, scale inhibitors, foamers, cement additives, pH control , crosslinkers, breakers, controlled release, retention and strength aides in the technical realms of oil and gas, waste water, pulp and paper, textile, and mining. He has been using instruments from RheoSense since 2011.
Kraft-Heinz Senior Principal Rheologist, Shamsheer Mahammad, will join us to share the importance of viscosity of food products. He will focus on the viscosity measurements role in ensuring that food products have the right textural attributes consumers prefer, such as right flowability, scoopability, spoonability and shelf stability. Shamsheer received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University where he developed a technique to modify the structure of polysaccharide based food hydrocolloids using multiple glycosidase enzymes to tailor their rheological and microstructural properties for specific applications. He has also developed rheology based mathematical models to study the kinetics of enzymatic reactions and thermodynamics of polymer-surfactant-cyclodextrin interactions in associative polymer solutions, as well as a rheometric method to estimate the kinetic parameters by measuring the changes in viscosity during the enzymatic reactions.
The Virtual Viscosity Summit will conclude with a presentation from RheoSense Principal Scientist, Dr. Stacey Elliott, and Research Scientist, Dr. Zachary Imam. Dr. Elliott and Dr. Imam will present case studies involving a variety of rheology modifiers to demonstrate their role in the formulation process and how VROC® technology can enable a thorough viscosity evaluation of complex fluids. The presentation will emphasize the importance of defining goals at the start and creating a measurement plan to achieve them. Stacey Elliott obtained her extensive experience and rheological knowledge through her education at Carnegie Mellon University and Princeton as well as her experience at both Alcon and DuPont. Zachary Imam obtained his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and spent a year post-doctoral continuing development on a bioscience project funded by the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Science program studying the biophysical properties and functions of microtubules.
You don’t want to miss this great opportunity to hear from these rheology experts. Reserve your seat today!
Can’t attend the live event? Make sure you register to receive a full recording of each presentation after the event concludes!
Written by: Eden Reid, RheoSense Senior Marketing Associate
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