Prof. Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, the Adolphe Merkle Institute’s BioNanomaterials Co-Chair, has been awarded the prestigious Thomas T. Mercer Joint Prize at the annual conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) in Pasadena, California.

The award, jointly sponsored by the AAAR and the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM), honors the legacy of Thomas T. Mercer, a researcher whose work spanned aerosol physics, chemistry, inhalation toxicology, industrial hygiene, and health physics. It is specifically designed to recognize outstanding contributions to the fields of inhalable materials and medicinal aerosols.

Rothen-Rutishauser is internationally recognized for her pioneering research in developing advanced human-relevant 3D respiratory cell models to investigate the effects of inhaled particles and drug aerosols. Her work has improved the physiological relevance, reproducibility, and reliability of in vitro respiratory cell models, providing valuable mechanistic insights into the effects of inhaled aerosols and supporting the assessment of drug safety and efficacy.

The Thomas T. Mercer Joint Prize adds to her international recognition. In 2025, she received ISAM's Juraj Ferin Award, which honors outstanding scientific contributions and dedicated service to the society.

Since 2011, she has been the Co-Chair of BioNanomaterials at AMI, a position shared equally with Prof. Alke Fink. Rothen-Rutishauser, a member of the Swiss National Science Foundation’s Research Council, is also a past president of the ISAM and serves on multiple international and national advisory committees, including Switzerland’s Federal Commission for Air Hygiene.