Cristina Elena Hoppe
Institution:
Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), University of Mar del Plata and National Research Council (CONICET)
Secondment institution:
University of Vienna and University of Trieste
Cristina E. Hoppe was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1975. She graduated in Chemistry (2000) from the University of Mar del Plata, where she also received her Ph.D. in Materials Science (2004) working on polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) under the supervision of Prof. Roberto J. J. Williams (Institute of Materials Science and Technology, INTEMA, UNMdP/CONICET). Between 2004 and 2007, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Nanotechnology and Magnetism Group), funded by an Antorchas fellowship (Argentina) and a Marie Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship (International Incoming Fellowship, 6th Framework Program). Her research topic was the arrangement of nanoparticles in polymer multiphasic systems. She is currently a staff researcher (Investigadora Principal, CONICET) at the Nanostructured Polymers Group at INTEMA (Institute of Materials Science and Technology). She has led several research projects in the field of polymers and nanomaterials and is currently leading the Mar del Plata (Argentina) node of the VIT Project. She has also participated as an Argentina representative in official international cooperation missions to the USA, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, and South Africa in the framework of I+D cooperation agreements in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Her main research interests are related to the design, processing, and application of functional and self-healing polymers and nanocomposites.
Ergang Wang
Institution:
Chalmers University of Technology
Secondment institution:
MIT
Dr. Ergang Wang is a full professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. He was promoted to full professor in 2023, after having been a professor since 2019. His academic path at Chalmers includes previous roles as an Associate Professor (2016-2019) and Assistant Professor (2012-2016), as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in the same department from 2008 to 2011. He holds a PhD in Materials Science, awarded in 2008, and completed his Docentship in 2015. Professor Wang has been recognized with a Wallenberg Academy Fellowship in 2017, which was prolongated in 2022. His academic journey has also included enriching experiences as a visiting researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2016-2017), and MIT (2024). His primary research interests focus on the development of innovative conjugated polymers, 2D materials, and graphene-like materials, with applications spanning organic solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting electrochemical cells, electrochromic devices, photocatalytic hydrogen production, supercapacitors, and thermal management. His work is characterized by a strong emphasis on green energy and sustainable development.
Alessandro Torri
Institution:
University of Parma
Secondment institution:
Udelar and MIT
Alessandro Torri graduated in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Parma in July 2021, under the supervision of Prof. Arturo Arduini. His thesis focused on the synthesis of calix[6]arene based molecular containers for the complexation of viologen salts. After the graduation, Alessandro started a PhD position in Prof. Pinalli’s group, where he currently works on the development of self-diagnostic reprocessable covalent adptable networks and on reprocessable photo-activated liquid crystal elastomers.
Francesco Rispoli
Institution:
University of Parma
Secondment institution:
University of Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah
Francesco Rispoli was born in Manerbio (Italy) in 1992. After obtaining a Master’s degree from the University of Parma (2018), he joined the group of Prof. Francesco Sansone as a postgraduate fellowship founded by NATO. During this fellowship he worked on functionalization on carbon nanotubes and germanium nanowires for nitro aromatic explosive detection. He obtained his PhD in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Alessandro Casnati at the University of Parma writing a thesis entitled “Upper rim functionalized calixarenes: from dissipative control to biological application.” In November 2022 he started a research grant under the supervision of Prof Enrico Dalcanale and Roberta Pinalli based on Innovative Thermosetting composites, vitrimeric materials and polymer of intrinsic microporosity.
Martina Torelli
Institution:
Bormioli Pharma
Secondment institution:
UniVie
Martina Torelli graduated in Chemistry at the University of Parma in 2014 under the supervision of Prof. Enrico Dalcanale; her thesis focused on the Self-assembly of Tb Double Decker-based Single Molecule Magnets on Silicon. In 2017, Martina got a PhD in Material Science in the research group of Prof. Enrico Dalcanale at the University of Parma with a thesis on synthesis and characterization of polymers with molecular auxetic properties. During PhD scholarship, Martina spent a 6-months period as visiting student at the Institut de Science et d’Ingegnérie Supramoléculaire in Strasbourg in the research group of Prof. Luisa De Cola. In 2018, Martina got a 1-year post-doctoral research fellowship as part of the collaboration between University of Parma and Bormioli Pharma. From 2019, Martina works in Bormioli Pharma as product validation & testing specialist.
Michele Siena
Institution:
University of Parma
Secondment institution:
CONICET
Michele Siena graduated in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Parma in April 2021, under the supervision of Prof. Roberta Pinalli. His thesis focused on the synthesis of tetraphosphonate cavitands functionalized at the lower rim with groups suitable for surface anchoring. After the graduation, Michele secured a position as an early-career researcher in Prof. Pinalli’s group, where he currently works on the development of epoxy-based self-diagnostic vitrimers.