Dr. Laurie E. Locascio

Dr. Laurie E. Locascio is the director of the Material Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Material Measurement Lab has more than 900 staff members and visiting scientists, an annual budget of more than $160 million, and serves as the nation's reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological and materials sciences through activities ranging from fundamental research in the composition, structure and properties of industrial, biological, and environmental materials and processes, to the development and dissemination of certified reference materials, critically evaluated data and other measurement quality assurance programs. The Material Measurement Laboratory serves a broad range of industry sectors ranging from transportation to biotechnology, and provides research, measurement services and quality assurance tools for addressing problems of national importance ranging from assessment of climate change, to the investigation of new sources of renewable energy, to improved diagnostics and therapies for health care.

Dr. Locascio previously served as chief of the Biochemical Sciences Division in the Material Measurement Laboratory. She received her B.Sc. in chemistry from James Madison University, M.Sc. in bioengineering from the University of Utah, and Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She has published more than 100 scientific papers and holds eight patents in the fields of microfluidics, biosensors and sensor/flow systems. Some of her honors and awards include the US Department of Commerce Silver Medal, US Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Arthur F. Findeis Award, the NIST Applied Research Award and she is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.