Appointment of EPFL professors

New appointments at EPFL

Dr Sascha Feldmann, currently Research Group Leader at Harvard University, USA, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry in the School of Basic Sciences (SB) at EPFL Valais Wallis
Sascha Feldmann conducts research in the field of semiconductor optoelectronics and has already made a name for himself for his work on hybrid perovskites, especially in connection with the development of new, energy-saving devices.He has been awarded prestigious prizes at every stage of his scientific career. The high-quality results and ambitious scientific programme of this exceptionally creative and talented researcher are an ideal fit with the research environment at the EPFL Valais Wallis campus in Sion.

Dr Nako Nakatsuka, currently Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Neurotechnology in the School of Engineering (STI)
Nako Nakatsuka is an expert in the field of neurochemical sensor technology and biosensors, at the intersection of chemistry, physics, neuroscience and engineering. A rising star in the field, Nako Nakatsuka has won many prestigious awards all along her career, such as the MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 in 2021 and the ACS Nano Lectureship Award in 2023. Her research at EPFL will focus on the development of transformative therapeutic and diagnostic technologies to treat and prevent psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Her appointment will strengthen and expand the visibility of neuroengineering at EPFL and foster new interdisciplinary interactions.

Promotions at EPFL

Professor Romain Fleury, currently Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, as Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Electronics in the School of Engineering (STI)
Romain Fleury’s research focuses on wave physics and engineering, including periodic structures, wave propagation, insulators, various materials and metamaterials. Romain Fleury is known worldwide for his expertise and innovative contributions. He received the SNSF Eccellenza Grant 2018 and the ERC Starting Grant 2021, as well as the prestigious Brillouin Medal 2021 for his work on phonon transport. He also stands out for his commitment to high quality education. Thanks to his innovative research and a large network of cooperation, Romain Fleury is helping to develop the future of wave engineering at EPFL.

Professor Negar Kiyavash, currently Associate Professor at EPFL, as Full Professor of Business Analytics in the College of Management of Technology (CDM)
Negar Kiyavash works at the interface between statistical learning theory and information theory. She is an internationally recognised leader in the areas of causal inference and applied probability, especially in relation to the application in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Her work is published in leading journals and conferences and is frequently cited. She is also very successful at attracting research funding. Since joining EPFL in 2019 Negar Kiyavash is an active contributor to the life at EPFL, where she has already held a number of positions of responsibility.

Professor Paolo Ricci, currently Associate Professor at EPFL, as Full Professor of Plasma Physics in the School of Basic Sciences (SB)
Paolo Ricci's main area of research is the theory of plasma physics. He is regarded as one of the leading researchers in this field and has been awarded numerous prizes. Among other achievements, he developed a comprehensive theoretical model based on fluid dynamics to describe the behaviour of the plasma boundary layer. This model has been implemented in a cutting-edge code used by numerous research groups throughout the world. At EPFL he is head of the theory group at the Swiss Plasma Centre. He is also a dedicated teacher and an active member of the physics community.

Award of the title of “Professor”

Professor Corsin Battaglia, currently Adjunct Professor at ETH Zurich and Head of the Materials for Energy Conversion Laboratory at Empa, as Adjunct Professor at EPFL in the School of Engineering (STI)
Corsin Battaglia is an expert in the synthesis and processing of functional electronic and ion conducting materials, their characterization, as well as their integration and performance assessment in operational devices. His research aims at providing solutions for sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies, such as batteries for short-term energy storage and electrochemical fuels for long-term energy storage. He is an internationally acclaimed researcher and is very active in technology transfer and cooperation with industry.

Professor Mirko Kovac, currently Full Professor at Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and Head of the Materials and Technology Center of Robotics at Empa, as Adjunct Professor at EPFL in the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC)
Mirko Kovac’s main research interest lies in developing flying and biohybrid soft robotic solutions for digital infrastructure systems. He specializes in robot design, hardware development and multimodal robot mobility. Mirko Kovac’s achievements include receiving an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2022.