Katrina Cornish is Ohio Research Scholar and Endowed Chair in Bio-based Emergent Materials for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State. She is a global expert on alternate rubber and latex production.
Cornish developed the first medical glove made of natural rubber that blocks radiation while still meeting federal guidelines and not triggering allergic reactions. This glove will eliminate the need for medical professionals working with radiation to double-glove so they are protected against both blood borne pathogens and radiation. She will be pursuing Food and Drug Administration approval of the glove and hopes to have the product on the market within two years.
Cornish holds more than 20 patents and has written over 250 scientific papers. Among her many honors, she received three innovators of the year awards in 2019: Ohio State’s Innovator of the Year, CFAES Innovator of the Year and the Institute for Material Research’s Innovator of the Year. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.