2025 ISAM Presidential Gold Medal: Gerhard Scheuch, PhD (Germany)

Gerhard Scheuch is an internationally recognized leader in aerosol science and inhalation medicine whose career spans groundbreaking research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and public health advocacy. He trained as a toolmaker before earning degrees in Physical Engineering and Physics, completing his doctoral thesis on aerosol particle separation and clearance in the lungs at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main in 1991.

Dr. Scheuch has held research positions at the Gesellschaft für Strahlen- und Umweltforschung mbH and Helmholtz Zentrum München, served as a visiting professor at the University of North Carolina and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and founded several influential companies in aerosol medicine, including Inamed, Activaero, Ventaleon, and GS-Bio Inhalation. His leadership in ISAM includes long-standing Board service (1999–2015) and a term as President from 2011–2013, as well as recognition as an ISAM Fellow and recipient of the Juraj Ferin Award.

In addition to authoring over 150 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Scheuch’s expertise has shaped policy and public understanding—most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he advised governmental and scientific bodies on aerosol transmission and mitigation strategies. His work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class (2023).

The ISAM Presidential Gold Medal is the Society’s highest honor, awarded for outstanding achievement, excellence, advocacy, and dedication to aerosol science and inhalation medication.

2025 Career Achievement Award: Jeffry Weers, PhD (USA)

Jeff Weers is an internationally recognized leader in pulmonary drug delivery with over 35 years of experience advancing inhaled therapeutics from concept to commercial products. He earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Davis, and has held senior scientific and leadership roles at Nektar Therapeutics, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Respira Therapeutics, cystetic Medicines, among others.

Jeff Weers has received this award for his pioneering innovations in inhalation formulation and device technology. He is the inventor of the PulmoSphere™ particle engineering platform, a breakthrough spray-drying technology that has enabled multiple approved inhaled medicines, including TOBI® Podhaler™ and Breztri Aerosphere®. His work spans formulation science, aerosol characterization, lung targeting, and inhaler design, resulting in over 70 issued U.S. patents, 300+ patents worldwide, and more than 11,000 citations across 180+ publications.

The Career Achievement Award is presented to a senior investigator whose body of work demonstrates a lifetime of outstanding achievement in aerosol science.

2025 Thomas T. Mercer Award: Justin Hanes, PhD (USA)

Justin Hanes is a globally recognized innovator in drug delivery and nanomedicine, with pioneering contributions to inhalable and mucosal therapeutics. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently the Lewis J. Ort Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University, with joint appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Environmental Health & Engineering, Neurosurgery, Oncology, and Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences.

Justin Hanes has received this award for his groundbreaking work in engineering nanoparticles capable of penetrating mucus barriers, enabling more effective delivery of therapeutics to the lungs and other mucosal surfaces. His research spans polymer chemistry, particle engineering, and translational medicine, leading to numerous patents, high-impact publications, and the formation of successful biotechnology companies.

The Thomas T. Mercer Award honors the legacy of Thomas T. Mercer and recognizes an individual with an exemplary career in inhalable materials and medicinal aerosols. It is awarded every year at AAAR or ISAM.

2025 Young Investigator Award: Jessica Oakes, PhD (USA)

Jessica Oakes is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University. She has made significant contributions to understanding lung structure–function relationships through advanced imaging, computational modeling, and experimental studies. Her work has provided new insights into aerosol transport and deposition in diseases such as asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. The Young Investigator Award is given to a scientist who will not be older than 40 years of age in the awarding year and who has made significant contributions to the field of aerosols in medicine.

2025 Young Investigator Award: Brendan Banaschewski, PhD (USA)

Brandon Banaschewski is a Senior Scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His research focuses on inhaled therapeutics and pediatric interstitial lung diseases, integrating aerosol science with translational medicine to advance treatment options for children with rare and chronic respiratory disorders. The Young Investigator Award is given to a scientist who will not be older than 40 years of age in the awarding year and who has made significant contributions to the field of aerosols in medicine.

2025 Juraj Ferrin Award: Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, PhD (Switzerland)

Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser is Chair of BioNanomaterials at the Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, where her research focuses on cell–nanoparticle interactions in the lung, 3D lung cell models, and advanced microscopy techniques. She has served ISAM in numerous leadership roles, including Board Member, ISAM President, and Congress President, and is recognized for her outstanding contributions to aerosol medicine and the Society.

2025 Ted Martonen Student Research Award: Shruti Sawant (USA)

Shruti Sawant is a Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University under the supervision of Dr. Qi (Tony) Zhou. Her research focuses on inhalable formulations for lung cancer and infectious diseases, with a current emphasis on inhaled bacteriophage therapy for respiratory infections. She investigates how formulation design and processing impact phage viability, stability, aerosolization, and activity. The F. Ted Martonen Student Research Award recognizes a Master’s, Ph.D., or M.D. student who has conducted outstanding, independent research in aerosols in medicine.

2025 Best Oral Presentation Award: Emma Sudduth (USA)

Emma Sudduth is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware, working under the supervision of Prof. Cathy Fromen. Her research focuses on PEG-based hydrogel nanoparticle design to enhance macrophage and dendritic cell activation in the lung through surface chemistry modifications, integrating particle chemistry, aerosol characterization, and in vitro/in vivo pulmonary delivery models. The Best Oral Presentation Award recognizes an outstanding presentation by a student or post-doctoral fellow, with winners selected by popular vote during the congress.

2025 Best Oral Presentation Award Runner Up: Julia Berends (Netherlands)

Julia Berends is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy at the University of Groningen, supervised by Prof. Erik Frijlink, Dr. Floris Grasmeijer, and Paul Hagedoorn. Her presentation, "INBRIJA versus Levodopa Cyclops: An In Vitro – In Vivo Comparison of Two Orally Inhaled Levodopa Dry Powder Products", compared two inhaled levodopa products for Parkinson’s disease. The Best Oral Presentation Award recognizes an outstanding presentation by a student or post-doctoral fellow, with winners selected by popular vote during the congress.

2025 Best Poster Presentation Award: Meghana Mokashi (USA)

Meghana Mokashi is a Ph.D. candidate at St. John’s University under the supervision of Prof. Vivek Gupta. Her poster, "Repurposing Clofazimine for Inhaled Delivery to Treat a Rare Cancer of the Lungs’ Pleural Cavity", presented innovative formulation strategies to enable inhaled therapy for a rare pleural malignancy. The Best Poster Presentation Award recognizes an outstanding poster presented by a student or post-doctoral fellow, with winners selected by popular vote during the congress.

2025 Willi Stahlhofen Award: Jens Hohlfeld and co-authors (Germany)

Jens Hohlfeld and colleagues (Holz, Sadiq, Gress, Struß, Stomilovic, Lundqvist) received the Willi Stahlhofen Award for their article "Assessing Human Lung Pharmacokinetics Using Exhaled Breath Particles" (DOI 10.1089/jamp.2024.0032). This award recognizes outstanding peer-reviewed research in the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, evaluated for scientific quality, relevance to current and future aerosols in medicine, and novelty.