Dr. Francisco Fernandez-Lima joined the University of Georgia in 2026 as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His interdisciplinary research program focuses on developing next-generation mass spectrometry and ion mobility technologies for biomolecular, biomedical, environmental, and translational applications. He is internationally recognized for advancing trapped ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) and integrating high-resolution ion mobility separations with ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry, electron- and ultraviolet-based fragmentation, molecular imaging, and computational approaches. His research spans structural biology, proteomics and proteoform analysis, epigenetics, metabolomics, protein–DNA interactions, complex-mixture characterization, and high-throughput analytical workflows for biomarker discovery and personalized medicine. Prior to joining UGA, Dr. Fernandez-Lima was a faculty member at Florida International University from 2012 to 2026, where he advanced from Assistant Professor to Full Professor and established a highly collaborative mass spectrometry research and training program. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nuclear Physics from the Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technology in Havana, Cuba, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, followed by postdoctoral training at Texas A&M University. His research has been supported by major NIH and NSF programs, including an NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, an NSF CAREER Award, NIH R01 awards, and an NIH MIRA award. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, holds a U.S. patent related to topoisomer screening, and has received numerous distinctions for research, innovation, and mentorship.