David J. Lamberto received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona before pursuing his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Rutgers University. His Ph.D. thesis research, under the advisement of Prof. Fernando Muzzio, focused on the study of chaotic mixing in stirred tank reactors. He is currently a Senior Principal Scientist in the Chemical Engineering R&D (CERD) department and head of the Crystallization Lab (XLab). He has over 27 years of experience in the production of small molecule bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients. David’s subject matter expertise in mixing, crystallization, particle engineering, and drying is underscored by his numerous publications (23), his patents (4), and leadership roles on industrial research groups, such as his involvement on the Enabling Technology Consortium API Drying Working Group. His constant endeavor for crystallization excellence in drug substance processes has led to end-to-end innovations, including support for the development of milling and annealing operations (OPR&D), experimental protocols to identify API drying mechanisms (OPR&D), and approaches used throughout the pharmaceutical industry to characterize particle attrition due to mechanical stress (Chem. Eng. Sci.). He has been Merck’s vanguard in the advancement of humid drying process development and scale-up. David incorporated this technology in the isolation of sugammadex (OPR&D), an achievement that has been recognized with the 2023 ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award. Through his involvement in numerous scientific communities, David has influenced API design strategies to accelerate development in drug substance and drug product (OPR&D, J. Pharm. Sci.).