2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit

Translating AI from Materials Research for the Lab to Industry—Panel Discussion

Wednesday, December 4
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Hynes, Level 2, Room 210

This panel features innovators from industry who are involved in the use and development of artificial intelligence (AI) for materials development. The panel will feature moderated Q&A in which the panelists discuss the current use of AI in industry and anticipated future directions. Of particular focus will be topics for consideration by the MRS community including crucial precompetitive research questions, how to establish best practices for AI in materials, and needs for workforce development.

Keith A. Brown

Boston University, Moderator

Keith A. Brown is an associate professor of mechanical engineering, materials science & engineering, and physics at Boston University. He is also the Associate Chair for Graduate Programs in Mechanical Engineering. The KABlab studies approaches to accelerate the development of advanced materials and structures with a focus on polymers. The group employs self-driving labs, additive manufacturing, miniaturization of experiments using scanning probe techniques, and novel platforms for parallel materials development to achieve these goals. Brown has co-authored 110 peer-reviewed publications, six issued patents. He currently leads the MRS AI Staging Group.

Dean Mulyk

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dean Mulyk is the Senior Manager of Product Management at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he leads the Laboratory Automation Product Management Team. Mulyk's passion is to deliver top-notch automation solutions for scientific workflows using physical and digital automation tools and leveraging innovative technologies to do so. His extensive experience as a software and hardware product manager within the Lab Automation Team has equipped him with a deep understanding of the industry. Mulyk's expertise includes the use of automation in regulated environments and the transformative concept of the Lab of the Future.

Kristin Schmidt

IBM

Kristin Schmidt received her PhD degree in polymer physics from Universität Bayreuth and continued her career at the University of California, Santa Barbara, BASF and SLAC National Laboratory before joining IBM in 2014. Currently, she is managing the Accelerated Materials Discovery Group at IBM Research at Almaden. Her team develops AI solutions to help scientific experts discover and invent faster. She is also the Vice-Chair of the Physical Science Council and in this role, she supports high-risk, high-reward exploratory research at IBM Research.

Anat Shiloach

Unilever

Anat Shiloach is a senior director of product engineering in the Science & Technology Division of Unilever R&D. She leads a global team of scientists who develop novel technologies and formulations for the Personal Care and Beauty & Wellbeing business groups, primarily focused on the skin cleansing and skin care categories.  The team uses microstructure characterization techniques, surfactant and colloid science understanding, and digital and automation capabilities to design sustainable products with advanced consumer benefits.  Shiloach joined Unilever in 1998 after completing a PhD degree in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she studied fundamental solution properties of surfactant mixtures with experimental and modeling approaches.  Prior roles at Unilever include formulation and processing of cleansing liquids, soap bars and skin care products at various stages of the R&D process. 

Brian Storey

Toyota Research Institute

Brian Storey is the Vice President of Energy & Materials at Toyota Research Institute (TRI). The mission of the Energy & Materials Division is to develop tools to accelerate Toyota’s path to emissions-free mobility and carbon neutrality. The Energy & Materials Division consists of our internal Energy & Materials research team as well as an extensive collection of funded collaborative research at leading universities. Our researchers focus on discovering carbon-neutral technologies that work amid social, economic and political forces. Our goal is to translate new ideas, tools and technologies to accelerate energy materials discovery and battery manufacturing. 

Prior to TRI, Storey was a professor of mechanical engineering at Olin College. He joined the faculty at Olin in 2000 and was one of the founding faculty members for this undergraduate, engineering-focused college. Storey received his PhD degree from the University of California, Berkeley, MS degree from the University of Illinois, and BS degree from The University of Texas at Austin - all in mechanical engineering.

Jacob Woodruff

EMD Electronics

Jacob Woodruff is Head of Technology Scouting and Partnerships with EMD Electronics, where he works to find and advance external early stage and disruptive technologies enabling the semiconductor and display materials industry, including partnerships in AI for materials discovery. Woodruff is an experienced technologist, having managed global R&D groups developing semiconductor deposition materials at EMD Electronics. Previously at ASM International, Woodruff led ALD process technology teams, and at SunPower Corporation and Nanosolar Corporation he managed R&D laboratories and developed processes for solar-cell manufacturing. He holds a MS degree in materials science and engineering and a PhD degree in physical chemistry from Stanford University, and a BS degree in chemistry and computer science from The University of Arizona.