Associate Professor Juan Carlos Idrobo has been named a fellow of the Microscopy Society of America (MSA). This honor recognizes researchers who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the field of microscopy and microanalysis.

Juan Carlos Idrobo

“I am truly honored and humbled to receive recognition from my electron microscopy peers for the research I have conducted throughout my career,” said Idrobo. “I am eager and excited to continue pushing the frontiers of electron microscopy in the exploration of material science.”

Idrobo’s focus has been on developing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) methods for materials science, leading to new discoveries and improved understanding of materials at the atomic level. His team developed and then experimentally demonstrated a method to measure magnetic chiral signals with atomic resolution. His research led to the first experimental measurement of temperature at the nanoscale, as well as the first detection of isotopes in water and amino acids at the nanoscale using vibrational EELS.

“For me, the most exhilarating aspect of my future research lies in mentoring the new generation of electron microscopists at UW who will advance the limits of studying materials at the atomic scale, potentially uncovering new physical phenomena and deepening our understanding of how matter behaves,” he said. “That is what drives me to go to work every morning!”

The fellowship will be conferred this summer at the Microscopy & Microanalysis 2023 meeting.