Director of the canter of excellency at Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran
Toraj Mohammadi is a distinguished professor and researcher in the field of membrane technology, particularly in polymeric and ceramic membranes. He has made significant contributions to fluid mechanics, two-phase flow, rheology, and advanced separation processes. With an academic career spanning over two decades, he has played a pivotal role in advancing membrane applications for desalination, biotechnology, wastewater treatment, and gas separation. As the Head of the Center of Excellence for Membrane Science and Technology, he has supervised numerous postgraduate students and led innovative research initiatives in separation technologies.
Profile
ORCID
Education
Toraj Mohammadi’s academic journey began at the Abadan Institute of Technology in Iran, where he earned his BSc in 1988. He further pursued a MSc at Tehran University in 1991 before obtaining his PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, in 1995. His doctoral research laid the foundation for his expertise in membrane technologies and their applications in industrial processes. His academic background reflects a strong focus on chemical engineering and fluid dynamics, which later became the cornerstone of his research contributions.
Experience
After completing his PhD, Mohammadi embarked on an academic career at the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). He started as an Assistant Professor (1996–2001) and was promoted to Associate Professor (2001–2005). In 2005, he became a full Professor, a position he held until 2017. His outstanding contributions to research and academia earned him the title of Distinguished Professor at IUST in 2017. Since 2019, he has served as the Head of the Center of Excellence for Membrane Science and Technology, spearheading research initiatives in membrane separation and filtration technologies.
Research Interests
Mohammadi’s research is deeply rooted in membrane science, with a primary focus on the fabrication and characterization of polymeric and ceramic membranes. His work explores membrane fouling control in forward osmosis (FO), reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration (MF) systems. Additionally, he has worked extensively on gas separation, pervaporation, electrodialysis, and membrane distillation technologies. His research also extends to modeling and simulation of membrane processes, aiming to enhance efficiency in water purification, wastewater treatment, and biotechnological applications.
Awards
Throughout his illustrious career, Mohammadi has received numerous accolades for his contributions to chemical engineering and membrane science. His PhD dissertation was selected as the top thesis in 1996, and he was honored as the top graduated student by the Iranian President in 1998. He has been recognized multiple times as the Top Researcher at IUST (2003–2016) and was named the Top Supervisor in Iran (2012). His achievements culminated in being appointed as the Distinguished Professor at IUST in 2017. In the same year, he received the Research Chair Award for Application of Membrane Technologies, funded by the Iran National Science Foundation.
Selected Publications
Mohammadi, T., Skyllas-Kazacos, M. (1995). “Characterization of a novel composite membrane for redox flow battery applications.” Journal of Membrane Science, 98, 77. (Cited by 50)
Mohammadi, T., Skyllas-Kazacos, M. (1995). “Preparation of sulfonated composite membranes for vanadium redox flow battery applications.” Journal of Membrane Science, 107, 35. (Cited by 65)
Mohammadi, T., Skyllas-Kazacos, M. (1997). “Evaluation of chemical stability of some membranes in the vanadium solution.” Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 27(2), 153. (Cited by 80)
Mohammadi, T., Madaeni, S. S., Kazemimoghadam, M. (2001). “Chemical cleaning of reverse osmosis membranes.” Desalination, 134, 77. (Cited by 100)
Mohammadi, T., Pak, A. (2003). “Making zeolite A membrane from kaolin by electrophoresis.” Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 56(1), 81. (Cited by 90)
Mohammadi, T., Sadrzadeh, M., Razmi, A. (2007). “Separation of monovalent, divalent, and trivalent ions from wastewater using electrodialysis.” Desalination, 205, 53. (Cited by 120)
Mohammadi, T., Ahmadzadeh Tofighy, M. (2011). “Adsorption of divalent heavy metal ions from water using carbon nanotube sheets.” Journal of Hazardous Materials, 185, 140. (Cited by 150)
Conclusion
Given his extensive research contributions, leadership in academia, prolific publication record, and significant impact on membrane technology and separation processes, Dr. Toraj Mohammadi is an outstanding candidate for the Best Researcher Award. His work has not only shaped his field but also inspired future generations of researchers, making him highly deserving of this recognition.