2011 meeting speakers

 Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb

Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb (Nile University, Egypt)

TBA

Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb, Ph.D. is one of the leading figures facilitating the introduction of nanotech to the Middle East. He is Assistant Professor of Nano Materials and founder and Director of the Nano Materials Masters Program (the first such program in the Middle East).

Prior to joining Nile University, he is the Chairman and Founder of SabryCorp Ltd. (Cairo, Egypt), the first company in the Middle East and Africa to specialize in nanotechnology. Prior to founding SabryCorp, Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb worked in research labs both Belgium (K. U. Leuven) and in Germany (U. Ulm, TU Chemnitz) where he specialized in using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Atomic Force Microscopy applications in surface modifications and device fabrication. Both represent powerful techniques for viewing and manipulating surfaces at the atomic-level. In addition to his work on STM, Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb also worked on constructing molecular nano-wires as well as investigated the blinking phenomenon of quantum dots.

Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb's research has been at the forefront of nanotechnology developments. He has 24 peer-reviewed publications (including papers in Accounts of Chemical Research and Nano Letters) and has recently co-authored a chapter for NATO on the commercial applications of nanotechnology. Further, he has organized and chaired the first nanotech conference in the Middle East (NanoTech Insight, in 2005, 2007), and is currently organizing a host of other industry-specific nanotech events and workshops in the region. In addition, Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb has a strong background in nano materials, as well as alternative energy and sensor technologies.

 David Amabilino

David Amabilino (ICMAB, Spain)

TBA

David B. Amabilino is a research professor at the Barcelona Materials Science Institute (CSIC), where he has been since 1996. His current interests lie in the influence of supramolecular and stereochemical effects on molecular materials. In particular, the preparation and study of nanostructures based on functional aromatic materials which behave as conductors and magnets in their condensed phases is a key pursuit. On the other hand, the formation of chiral nanostructures and their characterisation at the nanoscale using scanning probe microscopies is of special attention presently.

 Ryan Chiechi

Ryan Chiechi (Molecular Electronics, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

TBA

 Steven De Feyter

Steven De Feyter (Catholic University of Leuven - Belgium)

TBA

 Marcin Fialkowski

Marcin Fialkowski (Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences- Poland)

TBA

 Harald Fuchs

Harald Fuchs, Physikalisches Institut, University of Münster, Germany

TBA

Professor Heinz Harald Fuchs is a pioneer in nanoscience. Decisive he drives research and development progress in this area. At the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster, he is working on the development of scanning probe methods and the study of self-organization phenomena of organic coating systems.

Interdisciplinary research, more than 200 publications and 30 patent applications are evidence of his successful scientific work. Visiting Professor of Chinese and European universities to emphasize the international reputation of Professor Fuchs. Through his experience in the industry and as a co-founder of two startup companies, Professor Fuchs is not only in pure science but also in the economic implementation of innovations is a driving force. The attraction of the Competence Nanoanalytics is due to his commitment.

 Giuseppe Gigli

Giuseppe Gigli
Organics Division - National Nanotechnology Lab of CNR-INFM (NNL)
University of Salento, Innovation Engineering Dep.-Italy

TBA

Giuseppe Gigli took the Degree in Physics cum laude at the University of Rome (IT) “La Sapienza� in 1996 and the PhD in Physics in 1999 at the University of Lecce (IT). In 1999 he joined the group of Prof.Richard Friend in the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge (UK), working on Polymer based Optoelectronic Devices. In 2000 he joined the group of Prof.Olle Inganäs at the University of Linköping (Sweden), working on Nanotechnology processes of molecular materials. Since 2001 he is Lecturer in Physics in the Engineering Faculty of the University of Lecce, where he is Associate Professor since 2005. Giuseppe Gigli is the Coordinator of the Organics Division in the National Nanotechnology Laboratory (NNL) of CNR-INFM and national coordinator of the CNR research line “Nanotechnology for molecular materials�.

His main research activities involve: Study of Structural and Optical properties of Molecular Materials, plastic optoelectronic Devices such as OLEDs, Solar Cells and lasers, Soft lithography and Nanotechnology of Molecular Materials, Cell factory GG is author of more than 160 publications on International Journals with more than 2000 citations (h-index=25), several chapters in scientific books, 15 International and Italian patents and more than 50 Invited talks in International Conferences. GG is and has been coordinators of several research projects funded by Italian Ministry of University and Research, Unit coordinator of European project FP6 IP OLLA, and responsible of several industrial project with italian and international companies. Giuseppe Gigli is co-founder and president of a research Spin-off, Mediteknology s.r.l., aiming at the developing of new diagnostic tools for Medicine.

 Luis M. Liz-Marzan

Luis M. Liz-Marzan (Unidad Asociada CSIC-Universidade de Vigo, Spain) - Tentative speaker

TBA

Luis M. Liz-Marzán received his PhD from the University of Santiago de Compostela in 1992. He then moved to the Van’t Hoff Laboratory (Utrecht University) as a postdoctoral Research Associate.

He joined the University of Vigo in 1995, where he currently is a full professor. Co-author of over 150 papers and book chapters, he edited two books on nanomaterials and is member of several editorial and advisory boards. His research interests include the synthesis and formation mechanisms of nanoparticles, the creation of colloidal composites, the optical characterization of nanoparticles and their assemblies, and the use of metal nanoparticles as biosensors.

  Joachim P. Spatz

Joachim P. Spatz (Max Planck Institute for Metals Research - Germany)

TBA

Joachim P. Spatz was born on November 27, 1969 in Heidenheim. Undergraduate & masters degree in physics and PhD in physics (1996) at the University of Ulm, Scientific Assistant Univ. of Ulm (1996- 1997), postdoc Institut Curie, Paris/France (1997-1998), Scientific Assistant (1998-2000) and German Habilitation in physics at University of Ulm (2000), Associate Professor for Biophysical Chemistry University of Heidelberg (2000), Adjunct Senior Faculty Member, Jackson Laboratory, Maine, USA (since 2002), Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research (since 2004).

 Rajender S. Varma

Rajender S. Varma (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency - USA)

TBA

Dr. Rajender S. Varma is formally a chemistry research professor at Sam Houston State University in Texas, and also spent time as a Project Manager at the Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies in Texas, and finally as a Senior Scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center in The Woodlands, Texas.

Chemistry-oriented Dr. Varma directed his interest in Natural Products by receiving his Ph.D in this field in 1976 from Delhi University, India and continued with a chemistry diploma in paper and pulp technology in 1977 from the Norwegian Institiute of Technology. Dr. Varma conducted his Postdoctoral Fellow at Robert Robinson Laboratories at the University of Liverpool, England.

Dr. Varma possesses over 35 years of research experience in management of multi-disciplinary technical programs ranging from natural products chemistry and therapeutics, to development of genosensor technology. He is also extensively involved in broader aspects of chemistry that includes synthesis, and chemical modification of biologically active molecules, applications and interface of chemical science with biology, solid state chemistry, bioelectronics, environmental sciences and development of environmentally benign synthetic methods using microwaves. Recently, Dr. Varma became involved in the development of efficient technologies for greener remediation of contaminated sites, as well as the capture of mercury from coal-fired power plants and “deep desulfurization� of transportation fuels. His extensive experience includes being awarded 6 US patents and over 300 peer-reviewed papers, books, book chapters & encyclopedia contributions.

Area’s of expertise include: Development of Environmentally Benign Synthetic Methods and Chemical Protocols, Greener Synthesis of Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites and their Applications in Catalysis and Sustainable Remediation of Hazardous Pollutants (e.g. contaminated sites and streams using nanoscale zerovalent iron, mercury from coal-fired power plants, sulfur from diesel oil etc.), Natural Products Chemistry; Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Newer Methods for Immobilization of Biomolecules on Solid Support Surfaces; and Design & Synthesis of Chemopreventive anti-cancer Agents.

Dr. Varma’s long term goals are to contribute broad expertise in chemistry to evaluate novel and safer environmental protocols in industrial chemistry and its impact in human health and environmental sciences. In his spare time, Dr. Varma enjoys mentoring for high school and college students.

 Francesco Stellacci

Francesco Stellacci (EPFL- Switzerland)

TBA

Francesco Stellacci graduate in Materials Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, in 1998 with a 'Laurea' with Prof. Zerbi. He then moved to the University of Arizona as a post-doctoral scholar in the group of Prof. Joe Perry. In 2002 he became as assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, there he rose through the ranks getting tenure in 2009. In 2010 he moved to EPFL in Switzerland as a full professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where he currently is the Alcan EP professor. He has published more than 50 papers and has applied for more than 10 patents.

 Fraser Stoddart

J Fraser Stoddart (Northwestern University, USA)

TBA

Fraser Stoddart, presently a Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University, was previously (1997–2002) the Saul Winstein Professor of Chemistry at UCLA, while holding the Fred Kavli Chair of NanoSystem Sciences at UCLA and directing the California NanoSystems Institute (2002–2007).

Dr. Stoddart has pioneered synthesis of two-state mechanically interlocked compounds (catenanes and rotaxanes), which are used in the fabrication of Molecular Electronic Devices and NanoElectroMechanical Systems. He obtained all his degrees from Edinburgh University and spent time at Queen’s University (Canada), Imperial Chemical Industries, and the Universities of Sheffield and Birmingham in the UK before moving to the US in 1997. He was honored in 2007 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight-Bachelor for his services to chemistry and molecular nanotechnology.'

http://stoddart.chem.ucla.edu/

 Lionel Vayssieres

Lionel Vayssieres (National Institute for Materials Science, JAPAN)

TBA

Dr. Vayssieres is an independent senior scientist at the International Center for Materials NanoArchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan.

His recent research involves metal oxide nanorod-based structures and devices for solar hydrogen generation. He received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry in 1995 from Pierre & Marie Curie University in Paris. Thereafter, he joined Uppsala University (Sweden) as a postdoctoral fellow for the Swedish Materials Consortium on Clusters and Ultra-fine particles. He was a visiting scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Glenn T. Seaborg center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA), and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

He has authored over 60 publications with 130 citations per paper in Materials Science and 80 citations per paper in All Fields according to Essential Science Indicators with over 3200 citations. He has presented over 230 invited lectures at various research institutions and major international conferences in 26 countries. He is the editor of the International Journal of Nanotechnology (IF 2008: 1.184), and also serves as a R&D consultant.

 Omar M. Yaghi

Omar M. Yaghi (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA - USA)

TBA

Omar M. Yaghi was born in Amman, Jordan.  He received his B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Albany and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Urbana (1990) with Professor Walter G. Klemperer. He was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University (1990-92) with Professor Richard H. Holm. He has been on the faculties of Arizona State University (1992-98) and University of Michigan (1999-2006).   His current position is the Jean Stone Chair Professor in the Physical Sciences and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA. His early accomplishments in the design and synthesis of new materials have been honored by the Solid State Chemistry Award of the American Chemical Society and Exxon Co. (1998) and the Sacconi Medal of the Italian Chemical Society (1999). His work on hydrogen storage was recognized by Popular Science Magazine which listed him among the 'Brilliant 10' scientists and engineers in USA (2006), and the US Department of Energy Hydrogen Program Award for outstanding contributions to hydrogen storage (2007). He was the sole recipient of the Materials Research Society Medal for pioneering work in the theory, design, synthesis and applications of metal-organic frameworks and the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize for the best paper published in Science (2007). He is the recipient of the American Chemical Society Chemistry of Materials Award (2009).

His work encompasses the synthesis, structure and properties of inorganic compounds and the design and construction of new crystalline materials. He is widely known for inventing several extensive classes of new materials termed metal-organic frameworks, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, and covalent organic frameworks. These materials have the highest surface areas and the lowest densities known to date, making them useful in clean energy technologies such as hydrogen storage, methane storage, and carbon dioxide capture. The building block approach he developed has led to an explosive growth in the creation of new materials of a diversity and multiplicity previously unknown in chemistry. He termed this emerging field 'Reticular Chemistry' and defines it as 'stitching molecular building blocks into extended structures by strong bonds'.   He published over 130 papers which have received over 200 citations per paper. He is listed among the top ten most highly cited chemists worldwide.

 Paul Ziemann

Paul Ziemann (University of ULM, Germany)

TBA

After graduating in physics from LMU Munich, experimental thesis at the Research Center Karlsruhe and PhD in 1977 from University of Karlsruhe. Assistant at the Physics Institute University Karlsruhe and one year Postdoc at the IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, California (thin film preparation, sputter processes). In 1984 Habilitation at the University Karlsruhe. After one year at the industrial research Lab of DEGUSSA/Hanau, 1987 professor at the University of Konstanz.

Since 1995 Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics at the Ulm University. 1997-1999 Chairman of the Low Temperature Division of the German Physical Society and since 2002 Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 569 with focus on nanostructures.

http://www.uni-ulm.de/fkp/english/indexe.html

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