Nidal Hilal is a professor of Chemical Engineering at New York University. He is currently the director of the NYU Abu Dhabi Water Research Center. His research interests lie broadly in identifying innovative and cost-effective solutions in nano-water, membrane technology, and water treatment, including desalination and colloid engineering. His internationally recognized research has led to the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the development of new membranes with optimized properties for difficult separations, and his research has produced several breakthrough innovations. He sits on the editorial boards of several international journals, is an advisory board member of several multinational organizations, and has served on/consulted for industry, government departments, research councils, and universities internationally.