Vilmos Kertesz, senior staff in the Biosciences Division at the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø, has received a 2025 Al Yergey Mass Spectrometry Scientist Award from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, or ASMS. The award recognizes his contributions to the fields of analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry.
Since joining ORNL in 2000, Kertesz has demonstrated exceptional scientific leadership and innovation. His early work on electrospray ionization — a technique that helps detect and identify molecules in liquid samples — significantly advanced the sensitivity and selectivity of solution-phase analyses.
He co-invented transformative surface sampling and chemical imaging techniques — including flowprobe and laser ablation imaging — which have become essential tools in tissue analysis for drug discovery and development. Kertesz also co-developed and successfully commercialized liquid extraction technologies, such as LESA and dropletProbe, now widely adopted in research laboratories around the world.
Kertesz holds 21 patents, nine software copyrights, five R&D 100 awards, and has authored 115 peer-reviewed publications. His research has resulted in five commercially available technologies, demonstrating his commitment to impactful, real-world solutions.
The is conferred in memory of Al Yergey, a well-respected mass spectrometrist and biomedical researcher who was also known as a dedicated mentor. — Stephanie Seay
