Bob Pirok receives LCGC Emerging Leader award

"Education is central to how I approach research"

Analytical scientist Dr Bob Pirok of the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences has been awarded the 19th annual ‘Emerging Leader in Chromatography Award’ by LCGC International, a well-known global publisher in the field of separation science. Pirok will receive the award at the upcoming Pittcon 2026 conference held 7-11 March in San Antonio, Texas.

With the Emerging Leader in Chromatography Award, LGCG International recognises the achievements and aspirations of talented early-career separation scientists who have made strides toward the advancement and applications of chromatography techniques. Pirok is honoured for his work in the development of comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC), automated method development, and chemometric data analysis.

Already in his early career, Pirok has emerged as a prominent figure in addressing long-standing challenges in LC×LC, which include method complexity, data interpretation, and experimental optimisation. His research is characterised by close interaction between theory, instrumentation, and application, as well as sustained collaboration with academic and industrial partners. On a mission to transform advanced chromatographic techniques into practical and robust analytical tools, Pirok has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and established an internationally visible research program at the interface of separation science, statistics, and artificial intelligence. All this within a few years of receiving his PhD in 2019.

Automated method development

Central to Pirok’s research is the novel modular AutoLC platform, which enables prototype automated method development. With a capacity to run unsupervised (i.e. without human input), it is able to tackle samples of unknown composition by autonomous analysis of (2D-)LC(-MS) data. It is flexible, able to support different optimization strategies and capable of integrating tools developed by scientists in the global chromatographic community.

Accessibility and sustainability are key motivations behind AutoLC, says Pirok: “State-of-the-art separation technology is often overly sophisticated. We aim to make it more robust, automated, and usable beyond a small group of specialists, as efficiently as possible. By providing more detailed and reliable molecular information, such technologies can better inform molecular design and accelerate the development of new materials and applications.”

HIMS: From left to right: Bob Pirok, Prof. Peter Schoenmakers, PhD candidate Gerben van Henten, and postdoc researcher Tijmen Bos in the AutoLC lab at the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences. The AutoLC workflow builds on concepts originally introduced by Schoenmakers in 1978, which have now been adapted and extended within a modern, automated framework by the AutoLC team. Schoenmakers, who retired in 2022, was awarded the 2023 LCGC Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is especially grateful to his students who continuously challenge assumptions and push the technology further. “They show why research and education belong together”, he says. “In fact, education is central to how I approach research. Many of the ideas behind AutoLC grew directly from discussions with students, in the lab, in courses, or while trying to explain complex concepts in a clear and accessible way. Seeing students grow into independent scientists, capable of questioning methods and building new ones, is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.” 

About Bob Pirok

Bob Pirok (Den Helder, 1987) completed his MSc in analytical chemistry at the University of Amsterdam, followed by doctoral research conducted in close collaboration with industrial partners including Shell, DSM, and Heineken. After earning his PhD in 2019 with Prof. Peter Schoenmakers, Pirok was appointed tenure-track assistant professor at the Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences. There, he co-founded the Chemometrics and Advanced Separations Team (CAST) and was appointed associate professor in 2025.

Pirok is also a visiting researcher at Gustavus Adolphus College in the United States and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Pirok has received the Shimadzu Young Scientist Award (2015), the Csaba Horváth Young-Scientist Award (HPLC 2017), and the Journal of Chromatography Young-Scientist Award (2018). He is a driving force within the University of Amsterdam’s analytical chemistry programs, where he teaches courses in chemometrics, statistics, and separation science and supervises many MSc and BSc students. Pirok serves on the Early Career Board of Analytical Chemistry and is active in professional networks such as the European Chemistry Thematic Network.

HIMS: Bob Pirok speaking at the Balaton 2025 symposium in Siófok, Hungary, in September 2025