A Career in Mass Spectrometry: An EAS Interview with John McLean
At the Eastern Analytical Symposium in Princeton, New Jersey, John McLean shared his thoughts about his career in mass spectrometry.
John McLean of Vanderbilt University was named the winner of the 2023 EAS Award for Outstanding Achievements in Mass Spectrometry at the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) in Princeton, New Jersey. As part of our ongoing conference coverage at EAS, Spectroscopy magazine met with McLean to discuss his research, which focuses on the conceptualization, design, and construction of ion mobility-mass spectrometers (IM–MS) and structural mass spectrometers, specifically targeting complex samples in systems, synthetic, and chemical biology.
He earned his PhD at George Washington University in 2001. It was at George Washington where he developed inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrumentation for ultratrace elemental analysis. He subsequently performed postdoctoral research at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, and then at Texas A&M University before beginning at Vanderbilt University in 2006.
In this video interview conducted at EAS, McLean answers the following questions:
- What brings you to EAS? (00:16–00:44)
- What drew you and what keeps you drawn to studying mass spectrometry (MS)? (00:45–01:23)
- What are some of the notable moments in your career? (01:24–01:59)
- What does receiving the 2023 EAS Award for Outstanding Achievements in Mass Spectrometry mean to you? (02:00–02:26)
- What are the next steps in your research? (02:27–03:05)
To view our other conference coverage from EAS, click the link below: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/latest-conference
Mediterranean Origins of Red Coral Artifacts in Xinjiang Reveal Ancient Silk Road Trade Links
June 26th 2025A new study published in Minerals reveals that red coral artifacts unearthed in Xinjiang’s Shengjindian cemetery originated from the western Mediterranean, highlighting early Silk Road trade and long-distance cultural exchange during the Han Dynasty.
How Do We Improve Elemental Impurity Analysis in Pharmaceutical Quality Control?
May 16th 2025In this final part of our conversation with Harrington and Seibert, they discuss the main challenges that they encountered in their study and how we can improve elemental impurity analysis in pharmaceutical quality control.
High-Speed Laser MS for Precise, Prep-Free Environmental Particle Tracking
April 21st 2025Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that a fast, laser-based mass spectrometry method—LA-ICP-TOF-MS—can accurately detect and identify airborne environmental particles, including toxic metal particles like ruthenium, without the need for complex sample preparation. The work offers a breakthrough in rapid, high-resolution analysis of environmental pollutants.
