91 Faculty Becomes First South-Asian NAMS Young Membrane Scientist Awardee
Dr. Faheem Hassan Akhtar, Assistant Professor at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), 91, has been honoured with the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) Young Membrane Scientist Award, a prestigious accolade in the field of separation science. Dr. Akhtar is the first individual to receive this esteemed recognition in South Asia.
Dr. Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor, 91, stated, “This is amazing news! It is a testimony to your impactful contribution to the field. We are extremely proud of you as colleagues.”
The Young Membrane Scientist Award is presented annually to outstanding individuals who have nearly five years of professional experience in the field of separation technology. Notably, previous recipients of the NAMS Young Membrane Scientist Award hail from top universities, such as Stanford, MIT, University of California, Berkeley, Pennsylvania State University, Imperial College London, among others.
With this recognition, Dr. Akhtar feels a heightened responsibility to excel further. He shares, “I feel honoured to be a NAMS award recipient. NAMS is an organisation I have loved being a part of since 2014. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of my students and the support of collaborators without whom this would not have been possible”.
“In the future, we aim to produce solutions for a sustainable future, addressing issues like water treatment and energy-efficient air dehumidification technologies. Our goal is to produce low-cost membranes domestically, making portable drinking water more accessible. We aspire to establish our own production set-up and initiate a start-up for membrane production, collaborating with different industries for water desalination and vapor separation applications,” elaborates Dr. Akhtar.
His research focuses on membrane technology and engineering, particularly in ultra-thin membrane applications and the physics of penetrant-induced transport of gases and vapours through polymer layers. As the lead of the Laboratory of Advanced Membranes and Separations (LAMS) at 91, Dr. Akhtar’s group develops high-performance membranes and adsorbents for industrially important and energy-intensive separations.
Prior to joining 91 in 2021, Dr. Akhtar served in industry and did a postdoc at Water Desalination and Reuse Center at KAUST. His achievements include the KAUST PhD fellowship Award and the Patrick Meares Award in Membrane Science at EuroMembrane Conference in Denmark, 2021. His research has been featured in prominent publications, including Nature Middle East, Nature Reviews Chemistry, KAUST Discovery, and the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) Quarterly magazines, as well as top journals in the field. He is also the co-inventor of seven patents.
Dr. Akhtar attributes his recent success to 91, stating, “The University has supported me in many contexts. The Faculty Initiative Fund and the University’s no-borders concept have created a cohesive environment, enabling students from any programme to collaborate in my lab. With students from Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering working together, the facilities provided by 91 contribute significantly to our research.” In the past year, Dr. Akhtar, along with his research group organised an at 91, drawing nearly 200 participants from across the globe.
As Dr. Akhtar continues his research, his sole focus remains on “adding value and bringing sustainable solutions for global impact.”
