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Mounir Laroussi, Ph.D., professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at �������� and a pioneer in plasma medicine, has been awarded the 2026 Will Allis Prize for the Study of Ionized Gases by the American Physical Society (APS). The APS cited him “for seminal contributions to the physics and diagnostics of low-temperature plasma jets and guided ionization waves, and for conducting pioneering work on their biomedical applications.”

The biennial award, established in 1989, honors exceptional achievements in the study of partially ionized plasmas and gases. It carries a $10,000 honorarium and will be formally presented at the APS meeting later this year. The Will Allis Prize is one of the most prestigious awards given by the APS Division of Plasma Physics and is sponsored by AT&T, General Electric, IBM, Intel Corporation and others. This is the first time an �������� faculty member who worked in the plasma science field has earned this prize.

Dr. Laroussi is being honored for his groundbreaking work developing low-temperature, or “cold,” plasmas and their biomedical applications. His research showed that cold plasma can destroy harmful bacteria without damaging healthy tissue — a discovery that laid the foundation for the emerging field of plasma medicine. 

“This prize is very meaningful to me. These are my peers telling me that my scientific work has had an impact and contributed something of value to our scientific knowledge,” he said. “As importantly, my work and that of my students and collaborators has been translated to practical, real-world applications. Cold plasma is now used in dermatology, wound healing, etc., helping people going through tough health challenges. This not only makes me feel good but tells me that all these long years of dedication and hard work are bearing their fruits and contributing something positive to human welfare.”

Dr. Laroussi’s fascination with plasma began in the early 1980s while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Tennessee. A lecture by physicist Igor Alexeff sparked his interest in ionized gases and led him to volunteer in Alexeff’s lab. That experience launched a career spanning more than four decades and nearly 200 scientific publications.

After joining �������� in 1998, he expanded his research on cold plasma and its medical applications. One of his most notable innovations is the plasma pencil, a handheld device that generates a gentle jet of plasma to safely target bacteria for medical, dental, and dermatological use. His work has been featured by National Geographic, the History Channel, and the Smithsonian Channel.

Dr. Laroussi was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2023, and he is a Fellow of IEEE and the International Plasma Chemistry Society. Furthermore, he has received the IEEE Millennium Medal, the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society Merit Award, and numerous �������� awards for excellence in research, teaching, and innovation.

Dr. Laroussi retired from Old Dominion in May 2024 after 26 years of service and continues to be active in research and mentoring.

He added the following statement: I would like to thank the very few people who believed in my idea of using cold plasma for biomedical applications when it was still in its infancy. These include Dr. Robert J. Barker and Dr. Ulrich Kogelschatz. I am also grateful to my father, Habib Laroussi, who guided me and encouraged me to follow a career in science. I have a photo of myself as a child and on the back my father wrote, "I wish my son a life of knowledge and enlightenment.”

To listen to Dr. Laroussi talk about his invention of the plasma pencil, click on the following link, then play the audio located at the top of the page: