NATICK, Mass. -- Even for a scientist as experienced and renowned as Dr. Christopher Doona, there is a first time for everything.
Doona is a physical chemist at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC. He is the recipient of the 2017 Institute of Food Technology Industrial Scientist Achievement Award, a prestigious honor from the world's largest food science organization that recognizes significant contributions in advancing the field of science. Doona's win marks the first time a Natick scientist has received this award.
IFT recognized Doona's outstanding innovations in nonthermal processing technologies that contributed to improved safety and human health during the worldwide Ebola crisis. As an internationally recognized leader in nonthermal processing, Doona's research includes chemistry, microbiology, high pressure processing, bacterial spore physiology, hurdle technology, multifunctional materials, decontamination, graywater recycling and the recent development of novel chlorine dioxide technologies that filled critical public health needs to stop the spread of disease from the Ebola virus.
Doona's inventions were fielded in West Africa during the international Ebola crisis for use by health care professionals from the World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, and Public Health Canada for medical sterilization (http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00663/full).
"I've been a member of IFT for a little more than 20 years," said Doona. "It's one of the leading professional science organizations with members from 90 countries around the world. Receiving the 2017 IFT Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award is a flattering recognition of my scientific accomplishments. I'm honored to be esteemed by fellow IFT scientists, whom I have esteemed for generations for their research."
Doona is grateful to Natick for providing the groundwork of his scientific journey. He is also thankful to colleagues, including research microbiologist Florence "Chickie" Feeherry, and others present and past, with whom he has had the good fortune to have collaborated. He is proud to have earned his most recent award, particularly since it is a Natick first.
"It makes me appreciate Natick's legacy of luminary scientists who were giants in their fields --
like Irwin Taub, Hie-Joon Kim, Hill Levinson, Elwin Reese, Mary Mandels and Bill Porter," said Doona. "I hope our current R&D efforts can shine as brightly for future generations of our young scientists, too."
Never one to rest on his laurels, Doona and his colleagues are hard at work finding more innovative solutions to real-world problems (https://www.jove.com/video/4354/the-portable-chemical-sterilizer-pcs-d-fens-d-fend-all-novel-chlorine).
"In addition to the Ebola disinfectant, we have two new disinfectant inventions that can be used to kill mold on parachutes, tents and shelters; to decontaminate Anthrax spores on individual protective clothing; and to deodorize specialized garments, like those used in extreme cold weather," said Doona. "I'm looking forward to integrating these inventions for other applications, like multifunctional materials for uniforms. I find it very rewarding to work on basic research as a way to solve applied problems, and to come up with actual solutions that help Soldiers in the field. We thank them and their families for their service to our country."
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The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities for decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the Joint Warfighter and the Nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Related Links:
U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
Related Links:
U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
Related Links:
U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
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