FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | December 02, 2019

American Chemical Society names Gilbert Walker as the new editor-in-chief of Langmuir

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2019 — The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS), today named Gilbert Walker, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto, as editor-in-chief of Langmuir. Walker’s term will begin in January 2020 and will follow the retirement of Françoise Winnik, Ph.D., of the University of Helsinki.

Walker is a distinguished professor at the University of Toronto’s department of chemistry, where he leads the Laboratory for Advanced Nanoscience at Surfaces. This laboratory uses chemistry, optics and mechanics to investigate fundamental nanoscale phenomena at surfaces. The findings are used to develop applications, such as marine antifouling coatings for the aquaculture industry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles for the detection of leukemia and lymphoma cells.

Walker opened a new area of research in scanned probe microscopy of surfaces and single molecules at surfaces, making a breakthrough fundamental measurement regarding hydrophobic hydration. Combining optics and mechanics, Walker has developed techniques for chemical imaging and mechanical mapping with nanometric resolution. Moreover, he has created a tool to rapidly acquire infrared spectra on the nanoscale, which he is using to probe surface phonon polaritons in low-dimensional materials. Walker is using metal nanoparticles as surface-enhanced Raman scattering beacons for the multimodal imaging of cancer cells and structural investigation of proteins related to Alzheimer’s disease. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Minnesota and has been with the University of Toronto since 2005.

“I’m thrilled to be taking up the duties of editor-in-chief for Langmuir. We want to report the most important breakthroughs for materials in which the interface dominates structure and function, and follow up with key resulting applications,” says Walker.

As the premier journal focusing on the science of systems and materials in which the interface dominates structure and function, Langmuir focuses on advances in the understanding of interfaces, including novel concepts and emerging areas. ACS Publications extends its gratitude to Winnik for her leadership of Langmuir. Winnik has been with Langmuir since 2001 and has been editor-in-chief since 2014.

“We are delighted to welcome Professor Walker as the editor-in-chief of Langmuir,” says James Milne, Ph.D., acting president, ACS Publications Division. “Professor Walker is a leader in this field, and we look forward to working with him to develop his vision of how to lead Langmuir to even greater heights.”

About the American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. The Society does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Through its Publications Division, ACS publishes 60 peer-reviewed journals and many eBooks, including digital archives of legacy scientific research published since the Society’s founding, as well as the industry-leading weekly news periodical, Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature. Its Publications Division offers high-quality service to authors and readers, including rapid time to publication, cutting-edge web and mobile delivery platforms and comprehensive open-access options. The Society's main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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