[2] Allen's work on the structure of water was mentioned in Science magazine's list of the top ten breakthroughs of 2004.
degree in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine in 1993, working as a research assistant with Nobel Laureate Frank Sherwood Rowland and Donald R. Blake.
[9] Heather Allen joined Ohio State University in 2000, as an assistant professor of environmental chemistry.
As a Beckman Young Investigator, Allen studied the biophysics of the lung as a barrier mediating oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, and the importance of pulmonary surfactants.
[14] Her team is working on the development of infrared biomarkers and molecular level diagnostics for the use of cancer surgeons.
Using highly accurate laser beams, researchers were able to see the structures formed by halogen ions, or halides, and surrounding molecules of water in the interfacial area.
Halides such as iodide and bromide were found close to the surface,[4] a result which challenged "conventional wisdom" on the subject.
Allen's results may cause atmospheric chemists to revise their models of ozone activity and climate change.
With Lisa Van Loon, she has examined the behavior of sulfuric acid and methanol, found as aerosols in the upper atmosphere.
Together they can form methyl sulfate, a compound that attracts water droplets and supports cloud formation.