The CE Pharm Award recognizes an individual for sustained and significant contributions to the practical application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to the analysis of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products. It is awarded annually at the CASSS CE in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industries: Symposium on the Practical Applications for the Analysis of Proteins, Nucleotides & Small Molecules (CE Pharm).
J. Michael Ramsey was selected by the CE Pharm Organizing Committee for his dedication, expertise, and influence in capillary electrophoresis. Professor Ramsey is the Minnie N. Goldby Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he has built a remarkable career as a pioneer in microfluidics, micro- and nanofabrication, analytical chemistry, and bioinstrumentation. He is widely recognized for his groundbreaking work on microchip-based analytical devices—technologies that helped launch the era of lab-on-a-chip systems. These innovations have transformed chemical and biological analysis, dramatically reducing sample sizes and analysis times while expanding what is possible in genomics, proteomics, clinical diagnostics, and pharmaceutical development.
CE Pharm provides an interactive forum for the discussion of CE in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including regulatory considerations. The forum also provides a venue for industrial CE practitioners to meet, network, and exchange knowledge for mutual education. This year’s meeting was held in Rockville, MD, from September 7-10, 2025.
His research not only advances fundamental science but also bridges the gap between academic discovery and real-world application, reshaping the laboratory. Professor Ramsey’s contributions have long been a part of CE Pharm, showcased both in the scientific program and in the vendor hall. His pioneering work with Caliper’s microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology—applied to DNA, RNA, and protein analysis—is reflected in Revvity’s LabChip GXII and Agilent’s Bioanalyzer. More recently, his innovations have taken shape in 908 Devices’ ZipChip platform, which couples microfluidic capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry for protein, peptide and amino acid analysis. These are just a few examples of Professor Ramsey’s ventures, and each continues to shape how we think about speed, efficiency, and precision in pharmaceutical sciences. His leadership and vision have earned him numerous accolades, and his impact continues to be felt across our industry.
Ramsey joins the following list of CE Pharm Award winners:
- 2024 – Robert Kennedy, University of Michigan
- 2023 – David A. Michels, Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group
- 2022 – Norman Dovichi, University of Notre Dame
- 2021 – Tim Blanc, Eli Lilly and Company
- 2019 – Hermann Wätzig, Technical University Braunschweig
- 2018 – Jiaqi Wu, ProteinSimple, a Bio-Techne brand
- 2017 – Meg Ruesch, Pfizer, Inc.
- 2016 – Sarah Kennett, CDER, FDA
- 2015 – Cari Sänger-van de Griend, Kantisto BV
- 2014 – Michel Girard, Health Canada
- 2013 – András Guttman, Northeastern University
- 2012 – Franka Kálmán, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland
- 2011 – Oscar Salas-Solano, Seattle Genetics, Inc.
- 2010 – SungAe Suhr Park, Amgen, Inc.
- 2009 – Stacey Ma, Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group
- 2008 – Anthony Chen and Wassim Nashabeh, Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group
- 2007 – Kevin Altria, GlaxoSmithKline
- 2006 – Norberto Guzman, Johnson & Johnson