Laurie Locascio

Dr. Laurie E. Locascio is the Acting Associate Director of Laboratory Programs at NIST. As Acting ADLP, she provides direction and operational guidance for NIST's scientific and technical mission-focused laboratory programs and serves as principal deputy to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST director, among other duties.

Dr. Locascio's current permanent position is director of the Material Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Material Measurement Lab has more than 1000 staff members and visiting scientists, and serves as the nation's reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological and materials sciences through activities ranging from fundamental research in the composition, structure and properties of industrial, biological, and environmental materials and processes, to the development and dissemination of certified reference materials, critically evaluated data and other measurement quality assurance programs. The Material Measurement Laboratory serves a broad range of industry sectors ranging from transportation to biotechnology, and provides research, measurement services and quality assurance tools for addressing problems of national importance ranging from assessment of climate change, to the investigation of new sources of renewable energy, to improved diagnostics and therapies for health care.

Dr. Locascio previously served as chief of the Biochemical Sciences Division in the Material Measurement Laboratory. She received her B.Sc. in chemistry from James Madison University, M.Sc. in bioengineering from the University of Utah, and Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She has published more than 100 scientific papers and holds 11 patents in the fields of microfluidics, biosensors and sensor/flow systems. Some of her honors and awards include the US Department of Commerce Silver Medal, US Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Arthur F. Findeis Award, the NIST Applied Research Award, and the ACS Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).