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Founded in 2022, Lit Thinking is proud to be at the forefront of creating safer, healthier, and more productive indoor environments.

Science Advisory Board.

Meet Our Science Advisory Board.

Meet the passionate team of renowned scientists determined to bring healthy buildings to the world. 

Prof. Hiroshi Amano, Ph.D.
Board Member
2014 Nobel Prize in Physics
Professor at the Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability at
Nagoya University
Prof. David J. Brenner, Ph.D.
Board Member
Higgins Professor of Radiation Biophysics, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University
Prof. Edward A. Nardell, M.D.
Board Member
Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard University
Prof. Leo Schowalter, Ph.D.
Board Chair
Co-Founder of Crystal IS /
Professor at Nagoya University
Dr. Janet Price,
Ph.D.
Board Member
Doctorate in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
University of Michigan

At the inaugural Science Advisory Board meeting at Hudson Yards in NYC, the Lit Thinking team came together with two renowned scientists, Dr. David Brenner, Professor of Radiation Biophysics, College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University Irving Medical Center – Center for Radiological Research and Dr. Edward Nardell, Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School to discuss the future of Far-UV technology. We look forward to the work ahead as Far-UVC technology remains the best human-safe solution for clean, indoor air.

Let's Talk the Future of Clean Tech.

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(321) 299-0100
customerservice@litthinking.com

3259 Progress Drive,
Orlando, Florida. 32826
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The UV disinfection technology in Lit Thinking™ products is an EPA pesticide device intended for bioburden reduction in the air. Lit Thinking™ products are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent disease, nor have they been evaluated or cleared by the FDA.

Privacy Policy

Contact Us

(321) 299-0100
customerservice@litthinking.com

3259 Progress Drive,
Orlando, Florida. 32826

Professor Hiroshi Amano

Science Board Advisor

Hiroshi Amano received D.Eng from Nagoya University in 1989. Currently he is a Director, Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics, and a Professor, Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability, Nagoya University. In 1985, he developed low-temperature deposited buffer layers which provided the technology vendors to the development of high-quality group III semiconductor based LEDs and LDs. In 1989, he succeeded in growing p-type GaN and fabricating p-n junction LEDs for the first time in the world. He has published more than 529 technical papers and contributed to 27 books. Awards received include: 1994 Optoelectronics Conference Special Award, 1996 IEEE/LEOS Engineering Achievement Award, 1998 Japan Society for Applied Physics C Award, 1998 Rank Award, 2001 Marubun Academic Award, 2002 Takeda Award, 2003 SSDM paper award, 2009 Fellow, Japan Society of Applied Physics, 2011 IOP Fellow, 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, Order of Culture, Japan, and 2015 NAE Foreign Membership.

  • Director, Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics,
  • Professor, Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability, Nagoya University
  • 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics

Dr. David Brenner

Science Board Advisor

Dr. Brenner directs the Center for Radiological Research – now more than 100 years old – at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Brenner started my career in theoretical physics — applying quantum mechanics to radiation therapy. While he’s forgotten most of what he ever knew about quantum mechanics, he’s kept his love for applying hard-core maths and physics concepts to solve biological problems.

Most of Dr. Brenner’s work is with ionizing radiation – x rays, neutrons, alpha particles, carbon ions, but there are many other different types of radiation. Over the past six years, he has been working on a very exciting new approach to killing drug-resistant bacteria – superbugs- , as well as airborne viruses such as influenza, using a unique type of ultra-violet light. Dr. Brenner has always known that ultraviolet light can efficiently kill all microbes, but conventional germicidal ultraviolet light is hazardous to our health, causing skin cancer and cataracts. He has identified a particular wavelength of UV light that has the best of both worlds – it’s safe and it kills microbes – including superbugs.

Dr. Brenner now joins Lit Thinking’s™ Science Board of Advisors, helping to bring the science and technology behind Visium 1™ to the world. 

 

Edward Anthony Nardell, MD

Science Board Advisor

Dr. Edward A. Nardell is a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). He is also an associate professor in the Departments of Medicine, Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard Medical School.

He received his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. He then completed a residency at Hahnemann University Hospital, followed by fellowships in pulmonary disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center (formerly Boston University Medical Center). He is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

The author of over 110 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Nardell is a prominent researcher of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), with a particular focus on airborne TB transmission and control. He is currently studying the transmission of MDR-TB and the effectiveness of various control interventions in several research projects funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. He is also involved in a 5-year Fogarty Innovation Grant that uses new technological approaches to airborne infection control to train architects, engineers and physicians in air disinfection research in Peru, South Africa, and other high-burden countries. He is actively developing more efficient and inexpensive ultraviolet germicidal irradiation fixtures and a new environmentally-safe chemical vapor that may reduce airborne transmission. 

Dr. Nardell has served as president of both the Massachusetts Thoracic Society and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD), North American Region. He is also the incoming chair of the IUATLD Tuberculosis Section, Paris, and the recipient of the Chadwick Medal of the Massachusetts Thoracic Society.

Affliations

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Leo Schowalter

Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Schowalter oversees all aspects of our semiconductor research program, which is a core initiative for Lit Thinking. Together with the University of Central Florida where Dr. Schowalter has been appointed as a Research Professor, Lit Thinking is setting up a Center for Research into high aluminum content alloys of nitride semiconductors for far UVC emitter and high-power applications.

After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Dr. Schowalter was employed by the GE Global Research Center in Schenectady, NY. He joined the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Physics Department in 1987 and was Department Chair from 1997 to 2000.

In 1997, he co-founded Crystal IS (with Dr. Glen Slack), where he led the commercial development of UVC LEDs (based on AlN substrates also developed at Crystal IS) for disinfection and instrumentation applications and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei. Dr. Schowalter was the Asahi Kasei Designated Professor at Nagoya University, Japan from 2019 until 2023 where he helped develop the world’s first UVC laser diode and he continues his collaboration at Nagoya as a Visiting Professor working on laser diodes and other device applications using aluminum nitride substrates. Dr. Schowalter is a global leader in his field and is ideally qualified for his critical role at Lit Thinking.

Dr. Janet Price

Chief Science Officer
Dr. Janet Price is an accomplished scientist directing R & D in the tech start-up space. With 11 years of research experience, two of which were spent overseeing cutting-edge UV research, she understands the rigor and strict requirements for FDA filings and government funding sources. Dr. Price merges research insight with Lit Thinking’s design team to create streamlined room and building health solutions. She aims to establish a respected reputation for the safety, efficacy, and excellence of all products to secure Lit Thinking’s thought leader position.

Dr. Price received her Doctorate in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan, where she specialized in microbiology. Spanning three separate collaborations, her dissertation research earned her recognition as a Rackham Predoctoral Fellow. Dr. Price is an accomplished science advocate with experience speaking to broad audiences; from invited lectures for specialists to hands-on presentations for inquisitive young minds.

Outside of Lit Thinking™, Dr. Price is active in the Ann Arbor, MI biotech community and mentors fledgling start-ups through the OptiMize program. Advocating for students transitioning to the private sector, she is a member of the College of Science Engineering Advisory Board for Central Michigan University, her undergraduate alma mater.

Dr. Shashwat Rathkanthiwar

Director, MOCVD Research
Dr. Shashwat Rathkanthiwar is a seasoned material scientist and prolific researcher with over a decade of expertise in III-nitride semiconductors. His groundbreaking approach integrates semiconductor materials science, physics and electronics, envisioning revolutionary advancements in electronic, optical, quantum, and critical device technologies. Dr. Rathkanthiwar will spearhead the research on Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) of ultrawide bandgap nitride semiconductors, enabling far-ultraviolet optoelectronics and kV-class power electronics. 
 
Dr. Rathkanthiwar earned his undergraduate degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India, shifting gears to Nano Science and Engineering for his doctorate at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, where his thesis focused on III-nitride ultraviolet photodetectors. His postdoctoral tenure at North Carolina State University’s WideBandgaps Laboratory honed his expertise in epitaxially grown nitride semiconductors on native substrates, addressing doping, point defect management, and strain relaxation. 
 
With 31 journal publications, 80 international conference presentations, 1 patent, and over 15 invited talks, Dr. Rathkanthiwar’s contributions have garnered Editor’s Pick selections in Applied Physics Letters, alongside numerous awards and recognitions for research excellence, including Best Oral and Poster Presentations. Dr. Rathkanthiwar serves as an independent reviewer for 14 major journals and also chairs technical sessions at esteemed conferences such as American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy, Compound Semiconductor Week, Electronic Materials Conference, and Materials Research Society Meeting.

Braden C.

UCF Intern

My experience at Lit Thinking has been very impactful towards my growth as an engineer. I started working here in the middle stage of the product development process and we now have a fully developed product that’s actively on the market. I have been able to work directly with the Director of Engineering, which has allowed me to understand what it means to be an engineer. As interns we get access to a broad range of engineering applications including mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing.

Juan C.

UCF Intern

My experience as an intern at Lit Thinking™ has been outstanding. There has been an immense improvement in my leadership, hands-on, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Lit Thinking™ has helped me enhance my professional career as a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida by working through the Engineering design process to develop Visium 1™

Juan

“My experience as an intern at Lit Thinking™ has been outstanding. There has been an immense improvement in my leadership, hands-on, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Lit Thinking™ has helped me enhance my professional career as a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida by working through the Engineering design process to assist with developing Visium™.”

Juan C.
University of Central Florida

Braden

“My experience at Lit Thinking™ has been very impactful towards my growth as an engineer. I started working here in the middle stage of the product development process and we now have a fully developed product that’s actively on the market. I have been able to work directly with the Director of Engineering, which has allowed me to understand what it means to be an engineer. As interns we get access to a broad range of engineering applications including mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing.”

Braden C.
University of Central Florida

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Josh Oelker

Director, Business Development - Commercial

Josh Oelker joins the Lit Thinking team as an accomplished sales and business development leader with over 15 years’ experience that includes nearly a decade of invaluable involvement in Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) solutions for a multitude of applications. His background involves building relationships and fostering revenue within many areas, such as Commercial buildings, HVAC, Healthcare, Education and Food processing, as well as with many channels, segments, and partnerships. In addition, Josh has worked with different types of GUV technologies, including Far UV, LED UV, Xenon pulse and PCO. 

Josh started his career in GUV at Steril-Aire, where he rose from a Regional Sales Manager to a National Sales Manager, responsible for the overall revenue of a 30-year-old UVC/IAQ company. During his time there, he created, developed and launched an IoT UVC Sensor and monitoring platform with a cloud-based dashboard that allows continual awareness and efficacy. He also co-authored white papers on UVGI efficacy for disinfection and UVC for Energy Savings/Sustainability. 

In his most recent role as Director of Business Development- HVAC at PURO, Josh established an HVAC distribution network for new and future products from scratch. He collaborated on expanding the company’s product portfolio of UVC HVAC options and gained invaluable experience with other UVC and IAQ technologies. 

Josh’s passion for GUV has led him to explore the diverse benefits of UV disinfection in partnership with the USDA, the University of Minnesota and international biosecurity researchers. As an Associate ASHRAE member and an industry-expert, Josh has given numerous PDH accredited presentations on the efficacy and application of GUV for safer, healthier and more efficient buildings. 

Wendy Walling

Director, Business Development - Healthcare

Wendy Walling joins the Lit Thinking team as a seasoned sales, marketing and business development professional with over 20 years’ experience that includes an invaluable background in Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) technologies for Healthcare applications. Her diverse background includes the development and launch of antimicrobial textiles under the trademark license of the Clorox Professional Products Group and a 12-year career as a Marketing and Communications leader with Cox Target Media, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

 

In her most recent role as Global Director of Marketing at Intellego Technologies AB, Sweden, Wendy designed and built from the ground-up the company’s primary brand and business unit, UVC Dosimeters. She successfully expanded the company’s product portfolio of photochromic dose indicators for measurement of ultraviolet energy for 254 nm, 260-280 nm and 222 nm, and directly managed the company’s private-label business for customers in the US, Korea, Greece, South Africa, Colombia, Peru and the UK. In addition to developing UV auditing protocols for the largest healthcare system in the US, Wendy served as the host of Intellego’s thought-leadership video and podcast series, Making the Invisible VISIBLE, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 

Wendy’s passion for the promotion and adoption of GUV technologies has garnered the attention and respect from peers at the International Ultraviolet Association where she is an active member of its Healthcare Task Force and GUV working groups. She has served as a member of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA and a contributor to the 2022 GBAC Validation & Auditing Technology Guide.