Professor Gyorgy Szekely's research at KAUST focuses on sustainable separation technologies through the synergistic combination of materials science, data science and chemical engineering. Prior to joining KAUST in 2019, he held appointments in chemical engineering as an assistant professor at the University of Manchester, UK. He has produced more than 160 publications, 10 patents, 4 books and 12 book chapters. Szekely is active in numerous professional organizations. He currently serves as executive editorial board member for Sustainability Science and Technology; and as associate editor for the Separation Processes section of Frontiers in Chemical Engineering as well as for Advanced Membranes, Journal of Membrane Science and Sustainability & Circularity NOW. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in the UK, and an elected council member of the European Membrane Society.​

Professor Szekely has devoted his career to the research of sustainable solutions for separation challenges, in particular separation materials and processes involving membranes. The sustainable production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and clean water is largely impacted by the efficiency of separation processes in product supply chains. Conventional separation processes can account for as much as 80% of the total manufacturing costs, contributing approximately 10% of the world's energy consumption. In particular, his group develops sustainable separations through a combination of materials science, data science and process engineering.​