Jim Hager, PhD

Jim is inventing the future of mass spectrometry at SCIEX. His remit is to redefine the boundaries of speed, sensitivity and robustness by pioneering mass analyzer technology that will change the course of scientific discovery.

Since joining SCIEX in 1987, Jim has seen the company, and mass spectrometry technology, through an evolution that was beyond imagination at the time. As the inventor of the QTRAP system—the first linear ion trap mass spectrometer ever commercialized—Jim has been at the forefront of pioneering the performance improvements that keep SCIEX products ahead of the market.

Jim’s relentless focus is on increasing the speed, sensitivity and robustness of SCIEX technology, from pushing the limits of mass resolution to enabling lightning-speed data acquisition. In his current work, he leverages the advantages of different approaches to mass spectrometry into a single unit that will solve problems better than the original devices—a concept known as hybridization. 

“There's always something new to find out. My current project—I'm the only one who has ever worked on a mass spectrometer like this before. It doesn't exist anywhere else other than in my lab. I'm the one who gets to do the first characterization of it and find out whether it's actually going to be commercially viable. This makes my work incredibly exciting.”

Jim Hager