Legal Organs
Scientific Committees
Head of Division : March 2020 - April 2028
Prof. Federico Rosei - Canada
INRS CENTRE FOR ENERGY, MATERIALS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Prof. Federico Rosei is Professor at the Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, INRS (Varennes, Canada), where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Nanostructured Materials and the UNESCO Chair in Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Saving and Storage. His research focuses on the synthesis, characterisation, and applications of nanostructured organic and inorganic materials, including for energy and photonics. He has authored over 340 publications, received more than 13,600 citations (H-index: 60), and delivered over 325 invited lectures in 45 countries.
He is a Fellow of numerous academies and scientific societies, including the Royal Society of Canada, Academia Europaea, World Academy of Ceramics, and the European Academy of Sciences.
He, was awarded the 2019 Blaise Pascal Medal in Materials Science in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nanostructured materials and their applications in energy, photonics, and advanced technologies.
Prof. Federico Rosei has served as Head of the Materials Science Division since March 2020, across two mandates: March 2020 – February 2023, extended until April 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; May 2025 – April 2028 (current and second consecutive term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).
Officer : March 2020 - April 2028
Prof. Steven De Feyter - Belgium
KU LEUVEN
Prof. Steven De Feyter received his MSc (1993) and PhD (1997) degrees from KU Leuven, Belgium, in the group of Prof. F. C. De Schryver. After a postdoctoral stay at Caltech with Nobel Laureate Prof. Ahmed Zewail, he returned to KU Leuven, where he was appointed Full Professor in 2011. He served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2012 to 2016 and has been Associate Editor of Chemical Communications (RSC) since 2010.
His research lies at the interface of nanochemistry and supramolecular chemistry, with a strong focus on self-assembly on surfaces. He has made major contributions to 2D crystal engineering, surface chirality, templating, and interface dynamics, using advanced scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy to investigate functional nanostructures at the solid-liquid interface. His work also extends to biomolecular systems such as DNA and protein complexes, particularly those involved in disease processes.
In 2013, Prof. De Feyter was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant in recognition of the excellence and originality of his research.
Prof. Steven De Feyter has served as Officer of the Materials Science Division since March 2020, across two mandates: March 2020 – February 2023, extended until April 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; May 2025 – April 2028 (current and second consecutive term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).
Officer : March 2017 - April 2028
Prof. Paolo Colombo - Italy
UNIVERSITY OF PADUA
Prof. Paolo Colombo is Professor of Materials Science and Technology at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy. He also holds appointments as Adjunct Professor at Pennsylvania State University (USA), Visiting Professor at University College London (UK), and is a member of the EPSRC Peer Review College (UK). He was a Foreign Scientist at INSA Lyon (France) and a DGF Mercator Professor at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany).
He is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics, a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and is also Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the European Ceramic Society. His work has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Fulbright Scholarship (Penn State, 1991), the Pfeil Award, the Global Star Award, the Edward C. Henry Award, the Verulam Medal & Prize, and the Global Ambassador Award from the American Ceramic Society.
Prof. Paolo Colombo has served as Officer of the Materials Science Division since March 2017, across three consecutive mandates: March 2017 – February 2020; March 2020 – February 2023, extended until April 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; May 2025 – April 2028 (current and final consecutive term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).
Officer : March 2023 - February 2026
Prof. Paolo Samori - France
UNIVERSITÉ DE STRASBOURG
Prof. Paolo Samorì is Distinguished Professor at the Université de Strasbourg, Emeritus Director of the Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), and Director of the Nanochemistry Laboratory. He is a leading expert in nanochemistry, supramolecular chemistry, materials science, and 2D materials, with applications in optoelectronics, energy, and sensing.
He holds a Laurea in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna (1995) and a PhD in Chemistry from the Humboldt University of Berlin (2000). Before joining ISIS, he was a permanent research scientist at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bologna. He has authored over 450 publications and sits on the editorial or advisory boards of more than 15 international journals, including ACS Nano, Advanced Materials, Nanoscale, and Chemical Society Reviews.
Prof. Samorì is a Member or Fellow of numerous institutions and academies, including the Académie des Technologies, ACATECH, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium, Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), European Academy of Sciences (EURASC), Academia Europaea, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Institut Universitaire de France.
Prof. Samori was awarded the 2018 Blaise Pascal Medal in Materials Science in recognition of his pioneering contributions to functional molecular and supramolecular nanomaterials and their integration into smart and responsive systems.
Prof. Paolo Samorì has served as Officer of the Materials Science Division since March 2023, for the mandate March 2023 – February 2026 (current and first term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).
Officer : May 2025 - April 2028
Prof. Sara Bals - Belgium
University of Antwerp
Prof. Sara Bals is Full Professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, where she leads cutting-edge research in electron tomography of nanostructures, including 3D imaging at atomic resolution. She received her PhD in 2003 from the University of Antwerp and conducted postdoctoral research at the National Center for Electron Microscopy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA).
Her research achievements include over 300 peer-reviewed publications, including several in Nature and Science, and more than 40 invited lectures at international conferences. She has played leading roles in organising major microscopy events and is internationally recognised as a pioneer in advanced 3D characterisation of nanomaterials.
Prof. Bals has received several prestigious grants and awards, including an ERC Starting Grant (Colouratom, 2013), an ERC Consolidator Grant (Realnano, 2019), the European Microscopy Society Award (2020), the ACS Nano Lectureship Award (2021), and was named Francqui Research Professor in 2017. In 2016, she was awarded “Laureate of the Academy for Natural Sciences” by the Royal Flemish Academy of Science.
Prof. Sara Bals has served as Officer of the Materials Science Division since May 2025, for the mandate May 2025 – April 2028 (current and first term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).