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).