Organization
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Profile
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Telephone(414) 229-2610
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Address(s)Abbas Ourmazd
Department of Physics
1900 East Kenwood Boulevard
Milwaukee, WI 53211
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Biography
Abbas Ourmazd, Ph.D., is currently Distinguished Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His current interests include the structure of biological assemblies, such as viruses and proteins, and the dynamics of molecular machines, such as the ribosome.
Dr. Ourmazd has held leadership positions on both sides of the Atlantic. These have included academia (Oxford, Göttingen, Brandenburg, Wisconsin), industry (Bell Labs), national laboratories (IHP), entrepreneurial start-ups (Lesswire, Communicant), and professional societies (American Physical Society). His advisory activities have included industry (AT&T, Lucent Microelectronics), national labs (Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Naval Research Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab), government agencies (US Department of Energy, German Federal Ministry of Education & Research, State Minister of Economic Affairs and Technology), professional societies (the APS Committee on International Scientific Affairs, the Physics Planning Committee, US Congressional Science Fellows), and national funding agencies in the US and Europe (DoE, NSF, the Semiconductor Research Corporation in the US; the German Ministry of Education & Research, and the Volkswagen Foundation in Germany).
In addition to research and administrative leadership, Dr. Ourmazd has raised multi-hundred million dollar institutional and entrepreneurial funds, overseen the design and construction of major new facilities, and launched and managed two companies. He has also led the development and commercialization of high-value intellectual property portfolios, including licensing and cross-licensing arrangements with ASM, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Intel, MIPS, and Motorola.
Dr. Ourmazd’s research interests have ranged from electron holography, technologies for broadband mobile communication systems and hotspots, to determining the structure and dynamics of biological entities. He has a strong track record of stimulating and nurturing multidisciplinary work. He has published more than 130 papers in refereed journals, 10 patents, and over 250 invited presentations at national and international meetings and colloquia. He enjoys teaching over a wide range, from fundamental science and technology to business innovation, and has extensive experience in working with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Dr. Ourmazd’s awards include an Alexander-von-Humboldt Fellowship, and the Johnson-Matthey Prize. He is a US citizen, bilingual (English and German), and a graduate of Oxford University.
Dr. Ourmazd’s effort with the BioXFEL Center is directed at determining the structure, conformations, and dynamics of biological entities such as viruses and proteins, and molecular machines, such as the ribosome.
