Esther Takeuchi, a SUNY Distinguished Professor and William and Jane Knapp Chair of Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook University, was recently featured in a profile by the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). The profile focused on her significant contributions to battery research.
Takeuchi also serves as chief scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), where she leads its Interdisciplinary Science Department. She was inducted into the NIHF in 2011. In June, a film crew from the NIHF visited Stony Brook University to interview Takeuchi for a 15-minute mini-documentary. The documentary is part of a series that tells the stories of influential inventors. Filming took place at both BNL and the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook University.
Takeuchi holds more than 150 U.S. patents, making her one of the most prolific women inventors in the country. Her work in electrochemistry and battery technology has led to advancements in medicine and clean energy. Notably, she invented the lithium/silver vanadium oxide battery that enabled implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs). These devices are now widely used to prevent sudden cardiac death.
The NIHF website describes her contribution: “For those with arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can be lifesaving. This small medical device is placed under the skin to monitor the heartbeat, and if it senses a dangerous rhythm, it sends an electrical shock to the heart to get its beat back on track. National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee Esther Sans Takeuchi helped power these important devices by developing and advancing the lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) battery technology used to keep them running.”
Takeuchi said in her profile: “I think that science can help lead us to the type of world we want to live in,” adding, “We can solve problems, we can improve medicine, medical devices, and knowing that there’s the next generation of students who care about these things and are educated to take on these challenges is really a motivation.”
She has received several honors for her work. These include the American Chemical Society’s E.V. Murphee Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation presented by President Barack Obama in 2009. Takeuchi is also recognized as a member or fellow of several scientific organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, as well as winning a National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences.
The full profile can be found on the NIHF website.
