CMI-trained researcher hired as permanent staff

CMI Highlight: CMI researcher moves from LLNL to Solcoa

CMI researchers at Ames National Laboratory conducted the research for this highlight.

Achievement
Anirudha Karati hired as a Scientist I within CMI at Ames National Laboratory (2026).

Professional Development and Growth

  • Ph.D in Materials Chemistry from IIT Madras (India, 2019)
  • Worked as a postdoc at ARCI Hyderabad, India (2019-2022) and joined Ames National Laboratory in 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher working in the CMI projects led by Ikenna Nlebedim and Denis Prodius.

Significance and Impact
For CMI, Dr. Karati aided the design and scaling up of REMAFS to produce high-purity Nd, (Nd,Pr), and Dy metals. Additionally, contributed to other Ames Lab projects including battery recycling, laser-based carbonization, and critical materials recycling and separation. This has led to five patent applications, several high-impact publications, and two R&D 100 Awards.

Hub Target Addressed 

  • Providing the leaders, technical experts, and skilled professionals needed by U.S. industry to assure supply chains.
  • Training the critical materials workforce of the future.
     
Anirudha Karati (Ames National Laboratory) operating ICP-OES that enables rapid, quantitative elemental analysis to track critical-material composition, purity, recovery and process efficiency.
Anirudha Karati (Ames National Laboratory) operating ICP-OES that enables rapid, quantitative elemental analysis to track critical-material composition, purity, recovery and process efficiency.