PROF. ELEONORA ISOTTA

My research activity covers the following key topics in materials science and energy applications:

• Thermoelectric materials: development of high-performance thermoelectric materials via chemical-disorder and microstructure engineering. Investigation of alternative and sustainable compositions, device fabrication and testing.
• Thermal transport: high-resolution thermal conductivity imaging via thermoreflectance methods to investigate the local behavior of materials defects and how these interact with heat-carriers.
• Thermal property control: development of microscale thermal conductivity patterning via localized material processing. Thermal transistors via phase engineering.
• Microstructure properties and engineering: deciphering the role of grain boundaries, their local chemistry and atomic arrangement in controlling thermal and electrical transport properties.

Academic History and Appointments

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-2026)

  Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Germany. Lab of Prof. Christina Scheu.

• Post-Doctoral Researcher (2022-2024)

  Northwestern University, USA. Labs of Prof. Jeffrey Snyder and Prof. Oluwaseyi Balogun.

• Post-Doctoral Researcher (2021-2022)

  Michigan State University, USA. Lab of Prof. Alexandra Zevalkink

• Ph.D. in Materials Science (2017-2021)

  University of Trento. Energy and Materials Lab of Prof. Paolo Scardi.

• Master’s Degree in Energy Engineering (2015-2017)

  University of Trento and Free University of Bolzano.

• Bachelor's degree in Applied Chemistry (2012-2015)

  University of Trento

Teaching and Awards

• European Powder Diffraction Conference Award for Young Scientists awarded in 2025.
• International Thermoelectric Society (ITS) Postdoctoral Award in 2024.
• Italian Thermoelectric Society (AIT) Best junior article 2019.