Dr. Alex Simonian joined the Mechanical Engineering faculty
of Auburn University in January 2003. He was previously working at Texas A&M
University as a Visiting Associate Professor in both the Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Chemical Engineering Departments. Before coming to the United
States Dr. Simonian was working at a variety of professional,
academic and industrial institutions in Armenia, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia,
Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Italy. He founded Biosensors laboratory at
Yerevan Physics Institute (Armenia), which involved more than 25 scientists,
engineers, technicians and students. The Laboratory’s biggest accomplishment was
the development of
MultiFerm, a flow-injection multipurpose amperometric biosensor system
capable of quantization of glucose, uric acid, L-lysine, alcohol and phenols.
More than twenty of these analytical systems were produced and successfully
utilized in the Republics of former Soviet Union for a variety of applications,
including: clinical glucose detection, optimization of L-lysine production for
biotechnology industry, and determination of alcohol concentration in wine and
brandy.
Education
1993 Doctor of Science (Bioengineering)
Dissertation topic:Flow-injection biosensors based on immobilized enzymes and cells, Moscow Institute of Applied Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia.
1973 Ph.D. (Molecular Biophysics)
Dissertation topic: Ionophore as an Electric Shunt in the Muscle Fiber Membrane”, USSR Academy of Science, Yerevan, Armenia.
1969 Master of Science (Physics)
Thesis topic: Electrochemistry of membranes, Physics Department of Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia (USSR at that time).
Positions Held
2007 - currentProfessor, Tenured Faculty, Auburn University, Materials Research & Education Center, Sam Ginn College of
Engineering, Auburn, Alabama.
2003 - 2007 Associate Professor, Auburn University, Materials Research & Education Center, Sam Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn, Alabama.
1994 - 2002Visiting Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, Biochemistry and Biophysics Department, and Chemical Engineering Department, College Station, TX.
1998Visiting Research Professor, Department of Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle.
1993 - 1994Senior Consultant, University of Genoa/ Technobiochip Inc., Sicily, Italy.
1988 - 1994Head of Biosensors Laboratory, Yerevan Physics Institute, Yerevan, Armenia.
1979 - 1988 Senior Research Scientist, Laboratory of Biosensors, Yerevan Physics Institute, Yerevan, Armenia.
1968 - 1979Research Scientist, Biophysics Laboratory, Yerevan Physics Institute, Yerevan, Armenia.
Awards
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Auburn University Engineering Outstanding Research Faculty 2008
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Auburn University Materials Engineering Outstanding Faculty 2006
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USSR National Scientific-Technical Society Award “For the Best Medical Device in 1991”
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USSR Ministry Council Award, 1990
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Yerevan State University Award for best Mentor in Modern Bioengineering, 1989
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Armenian National Academy Award for Best Research Projects, 1982, 1988
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Yerevan Physics Institute Outstanding Young Scientist Award, 1973
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Yerevan State University physics Department Award, 1968
Membership
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The American Chemical Society
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The Electrochemical Society
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International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
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Member-Correspondent of Armenian Academy of Engineers (Elected in 1994)
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Armenian Biophysical Association, the Member of the Presidium (Elected in 2004)
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Sigma Xi
Curriculum Vitae