Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Assistant Professor
Contact Information
Building: Ford ES&T
Office: L1224
Phone: 404.894.2856
Fax: 404.894.2866
email
Mailing Address
Georgia Institute of Technology
School of Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering
311 Ferst Drive, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30332-0100
Links
Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Education
B.Eng. 1997 Kansai University, Japan
M.Eng. 1999 Kansai University, Japan
Ph.D. 2007 Carnegie Mellon University
Research Interests
Dr. Yoshiaki (Yoshi) Kawajiri's research interests are in the interdisciplinary area of process systems engineering and separation engineering. In particular, his interests include dynamic optimization, control, and parameter estimation techniques applied to novel separation processes. Some specific topics include optimal design and operation of simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography, and parameter estimation of preferential crystallization for enantiomer separation.
1. Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography
SMB chromatography has a long history of use in the sugar and petrochemical industries. It is now recognized as one of the most important separation techniques also in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular for enantiomer separation. Dr. Kawajiri's work addresses efficient process development, operation, and control of SMB processes utilizing nonlinear optimization techniques as well as experimental studies.
2. Preferential crystallization for enantiomer separation
Separation of chiral compounds is crucial for safe drug production since usually only one of the enantiomers exhibits the desired therapeutic properties, whereas the other enantiomer may cause some undesired effect. An attractive separation technique in addition to chromatography is preferential crystallization, where only one of the enantiomers is preferentially produced. Since a very high value can be added by separating enantiomers, efficient design, operation, and control of preferential crystallization processes are of critical importance. Dr. Kawajiri's approach to this problem is to utilize computational techniques such as mathematical modeling and nonlinear programming.
Biography
Dr. Kawajiri joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 2008 after completing his Ph.D. study at Carnegie Mellon University and post-doctoral study at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Systems in Magdeburg, Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow. He had previously engaged in research and development of separation processes at Organo Corporation, Japan for four years.