Kasun Gunasooriya

Assistant Professor, School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering
Affiliate, Institute for Resilient Environmental & Energy Systems
Member, Data Institute for Societal Challenges

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium, 2019
M.Eng. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, 2014
B.Eng. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, 2011

PostDoc, Catalysis Theory Center, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark, 2019-2022
PostDoc, Laboratory for Chemical Technology, Belgium, 2019
Research Engineer, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, 2012-2014

Dr. Kasun Gunasooriya is an assistant professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to OU, he was a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Jens K. Nørskov at the Catalysis Theory Center at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). His research at DTU focused on developing novel catalytic materials for water electrolyzers and fuel cells in close experimental collaboration with Prof. Thomas Jaramillo at Stanford University and Prof. Ib Chorkendorff at DTU. He earned his B.Eng. and M.Eng in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and carried out his Ph.D. research with Prof. Mark Saeys and Prof. Guy Marin at the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT) at the Ghent University, where he investigated the catalyst structure and reaction mechanism of the cobalt catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.

The overarching goal of his research group is to develop innovative strategies to produce renewable energy, fuels, and chemicals by the computational design of efficient thermo- and electro-catalytic processes. To achieve this, Gunasooriya Lab combines expertise in the fields of computational catalysis, kinetic modeling, continuum modeling,  and machine learning, with a special focus on underpinning structure-property relationships of advanced catalytic materials to accelerate materials discovery and establish catalyst design principles for sustainable energy applications.

Awards
ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 2024
Young Talent Award, 18th International Congress on Catalysis, 2024
18th International Congress on Catalysis (France) Travel Award, North American Catalysis Society, 2024
Young Advisory Board, Applied Catalysis A: General, 2024. link
Seal of Excellence, European Union H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, Denmark, 2019
Catalysis Science and Technology Poster Award, 7th European Chemical Society (EuChemS) Chemistry Congress, Liverpool, UK, 2018
Winner, European Federation of Catalysis Societies (EFCATS) Young Generation Catalysis Challenge, Wageningen, Netherlands, 2018
Scientific Research Committee (CWO) Travel Grant, Ghent University, Belgium, 2017
Best Poster Presentation Award, SUNCAT Summer Institute, Stanford University, USA, 2017
Winner, TEDxGhent PhD/PostDoc contest “Hacking the carbon cycle using computers”, Ghent, Belgium, 2017