Elena Kayukova | Environmental Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Posted on by Analytical Chemistry

Dr. Elena Kayukova | Environmental Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Saint Petersburg State University, Russia

👨‍🎓Profiles

🎓 Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Elena Kayukova began her academic journey with a strong foundation in geology. In 1983, she graduated from Leningrad State University (now St. Petersburg State University) as an engineer and geologist. Her passion for the Earth sciences led her to pursue advanced research, culminating in the award of a Ph.D. in Geology and Mineralogy in 2018. Her academic background laid the groundwork for a lifelong career in hydrogeology and environmental geosciences.

🏢 Professional Endeavors

Dr. Kayukova’s career spans both industry and academia. From 1984 to 1993, she worked as a geologist at the All-Russia Petroleum Research Exploration Institute (VNIGRI), contributing to national-scale energy and resource exploration. Since 1993, she has been a dedicated academic at St. Petersburg State University, where she has served as a Senior Lecturer and currently holds the title of Associate Professor in the Department of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology. Her professional roles have allowed her to mentor future geoscientists while continuing her impactful research.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Kayukova is a prominent researcher in the fields of hydrogeochemistry, groundwater quality, hydrochemical modeling, and environmental monitoring. Her primary focus areas include the Crimean Peninsula and the St. Petersburg region, where she has conducted extensive studies on mineral waters, salt lakes, mud volcanoes, and isotopic hydrogeology. She closely monitors springs and atmospheric precipitation in Mountainous Crimea, particularly in the Bodrak River basin, examining chemical and isotopic changes that indicate environmental trends and challenges. Her work is vital due to Crimea’s acute freshwater scarcity.

🌍 Impact and Influence

With over 25 years of fieldwork and research, Dr. Kayukova has made significant contributions to the understanding and protection of water resources in environmentally sensitive areas. Her studies on the Kerch Peninsula’s mud volcanoes and salt lakes offer critical insight into geochemical processes, while her groundwater monitoring projects help identify pollution sources and safeguard public health. Her dedication to environmental education and resource sustainability underscores her influence in shaping water policy and management in the region.

📚 Academic Citations and Recognition

Dr. Kayukova’s research is widely recognized in the academic community, especially for its practical applications in environmental monitoring and water quality assessment. Her scientific publications and collaborations have contributed to the growing body of knowledge in hydrogeology and isotope geochemistry, earning citations that reflect her contributions to solving real-world water issues in geopolitically significant regions like Crimea.

🛠️ Technical Skills

Dr. Kayukova is skilled in hydrochemical analysis, environmental monitoring techniques, hydrogeological modeling, and the application of isotope geochemistry. Her technical capabilities also include managing long-term field studies, interpreting hydrological data, and designing environmental education programs. Her multidisciplinary expertise bridges geological sciences with environmental stewardship.

👩‍🏫 Teaching Experience

As an Associate Professor at St. Petersburg State University, Dr. Kayukova has mentored numerous students in hydrogeology and environmental geoscience. She has played a pivotal role in developing academic curricula, guiding fieldwork, and fostering scientific inquiry among young scholars. Her teaching emphasizes the practical importance of geological sciences in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

🌱 Legacy and Future Contributions

Dr. Kayukova’s legacy is rooted in her unwavering commitment to protecting freshwater resources through research, education, and community engagement. Her long-standing work in Crimea is not only of academic value but also of profound social and environmental importance. Looking ahead, she aims to expand her studies on groundwater radioactivity and climate-related hydrochemical changes, contributing further to the sustainability of vital water ecosystems.

📖Notable Publications

Clinical case of malignant endometrioid-associated neoplasia of a postoperative scar

Author: E. V. Kayukova
Journal: MD-Onco
Year: 2025

The factors of the low iodine concentration in soil cover and drinking waters of the second ridge of the Mountain Crimea

Authors: Victor Yu. Berezkin, Victor V. Glebov, Elena P. Kayukova
Journal: RUDN Journal of Ecology and Life Safety
Year: 2023

Geological controls and the impact of human society on the composition of peloids of present-day salt lakes (coastal zones of the Black, Azov, and Dead Seas)

Authors: S. Kotov, I. Kotova, E. Kayukova
Journal: Journal of Coastal Conservation
Year: 2019

Characteristics of formation of chemical composition of groundwater of active water exchange zone of the Bodrak catchment area (South-Western Crimea)

Author: Elena Kayukova
Journal: Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Seriya 7. Geologiya i Geografiya
Year: 2017

The impact of environmental and anthropogenic factors on composition of peloids in modern salt lakes

Authors: I.K. Kotova, S.R. Kotov, E.P. Kayukova, L.V. Mordukhai-Boltovskaya
Journal: Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Earth Sciences
Year: 2017

Ruijuan Qu | Environmental Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Posted on by Analytical Chemistry

Dr. Ruijuan Qu | Environmental Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Nanjing University, China

👨‍🎓Profiles

👩‍🏫 Early Academic Pursuits

Ruijuan Qu completed her PhD from Nanjing University, where she subsequently embarked on her professional career. She started her academic journey as an assistant researcher and progressed to associate researcher. Her continued academic growth led to her appointment as an Associate Professor at the School of Environment, Nanjing University. Her foundational academic pursuits focused on environmental sciences, particularly on the transformation mechanisms of organic pollutants and the development of efficient degradation technologies.

💼 Professional Endeavors

Her professional career has been largely centered around environmental chemistry, with a particular focus on pollution degradation and chemical processes in environmental systems. Her research spans various aspects of environmental transformation, including the fate of organic pollutants, chemical oxidation processes, and the application of computational chemistry. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of complex environmental processes, particularly in the treatment of organic pollutants using advanced oxidation processes. She collaborates internationally, notably with Prof. Virender K. Sharma from Texas A&M University, on Ferrate oxidation treatments of organic pollutants.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

She has been instrumental in developing innovative methods and models to study the transformation of organic pollutants. She established a novel "non-target mass spectrometry – preparative separation-characterization - simplified transition state calculation" method for identifying intermediate products in pollutant degradation. Furthermore, she investigated the influence of suspended particles and co-existing components on the heterogeneous photodegradation of persistent organic pollutants in river systems. Her work has led to a deeper understanding of the polymerization processes in chemical oxidation of phenols, and she proposed strategies to regulate this process for low-carbon, efficient oxidation treatments.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Her research has had significant impact in the field of environmental chemistry, particularly in understanding the environmental fate and transformation of organic pollutants. Her innovative methods have been applied to address key challenges in environmental pollution, particularly in water and wastewater treatment. As a recognized leader in the field, Her work has contributed to advancing green chemistry and pollution control technologies. She was named to Stanford University's 2023 World's Top 2% Scientists List, highlighting her significant contributions and the wide recognition her research has gained in the global scientific community.

📚 Academic Cites

Her work has been cited extensively, with a citation index of 6036 times and an H-index of 43 according to Web of Science. This reflects the widespread influence and relevance of her research in the environmental chemistry domain. Her 159 articles published in SCI-indexed journals underscore her prolific contributions to the academic community, advancing the understanding of chemical processes and pollutant management.

🛠️ Technical Skills

Ruijuan Qu possesses advanced technical expertise in environmental chemistry, particularly in the areas of mass spectrometry, computational chemistry, and environmental analytical techniques. Her work in environmental transformation analysis, pollutant degradation technologies, and process optimization highlights her technical proficiency. She also possesses deep knowledge of chemical oxidation processes and their applications in environmental remediation, making her a leader in this niche field of research.

👩‍🏫 Teaching Experience

As an Associate Professor at Nanjing University, She has contributed significantly to educating the next generation of environmental scientists. She teaches courses in environmental chemistry, pollutant treatment technologies, and environmental computational chemistry. Her teaching approach integrates cutting-edge research with practical applications, ensuring that her students are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address current and future environmental challenges.

🏆 Legacy and Future Contributions

Her legacy is grounded in her pioneering work in environmental chemistry and pollution degradation. Through her innovative research, she has not only advanced scientific understanding but has also contributed to the development of green technologies for environmental protection. Her future contributions are poised to further shape the field, particularly in the development of more efficient, sustainable pollution control methods and the application of computational chemistry in environmental research.

🔮 Future Contributions

She continues to push the boundaries of environmental science with ongoing research focused on improving chemical oxidation methods, advancing non-target mass spectrometry for pollutant detection, and developing low-carbon technologies for water and wastewater treatment. Her future work aims to bridge the gap between fundamental environmental chemistry and practical, scalable solutions to global pollution challenges, enhancing both environmental sustainability and human health.

📖Notable Publications