Three Chalmers researchers appointed as Wallenberg Academy Fellows

The Chalmers researchers who will participate in the Wallenberg Academy Fellows program are Georgia Panopoulou, Assistant Professor at the Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Julia Wiktor, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, and Matthias Geilhufe, Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics.

The fellowships were first announced in 2012, after the program was established in partnership with the royal academies and 16 Swedish universities. Funding amounts to SEK 6.5 to 15.6 million per researcher for five years, depending on the subject area. After the first five-year period, it is possible to apply for funding for an additional five years. Funding covers research in the natural sciences, medicine, technology, the humanities, and social sciences. Including this year’s cohort, 261 young researchers, of whom 46 per cent are women, have been appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows.

Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences assist the Foundation by reviewing the applications and helping with selection. The Academy also runs a mentoring program in which the selected researchers can participate.

 

Will optimize energy-capturing materials for solar cells

Researchers now have such good knowledge of matter’s interior that they can use computers to simulate the properties of a material. Julia Wiktor will utilize this to better understand interactions between energized electrons and atoms in materials for solar cells. The aim is to optimize materials so they can better convert solar energy into electricity.

"I am very happy to be selected as one of the new Wallenberg Academy Fellows. It feels great to be in the company of such excellent and inspiring researchers, both current and past recipients,” says Julia Wiktor, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics.

"The grant is a significant boost for our research efforts. It will allow my group to connect and advance several lines of research we have been working on. We can now focus in greater detail on the study of fascinating quasiparticles, polarons, and their role in materials for solar energy applications. This will hopefully open up new possibilities for advancements in solar technologies."

Will investigate ultrafast magnetization of materials

Chemists talk about chiral molecules – molecules that are each other’s mirror images. Physicists have now discovered that materials can also briefly acquire chiral properties, affecting their magnetism. Matthias Geilhufe will now study and develop the theoretical understanding of this exciting phenomenon.

"I am extremely honoured, being selected as Wallenberg Academy Fellow. The funding is essential for my research in this exciting direction," says Matthias Geilhufe.

Will create a 3D image of the Milky Way’s magnetic field

A magnetic field extends throughout our Galaxy. Its force affects the swirling gas that fills the galaxy and that forms new stars. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Georgia Panopoulou will develop tools that make it possible to map the magnetic field in three dimensions. Her aim is to understand the flow of gas in our Galaxy.

"I am extremely grateful and honored to have received this fellowship from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation. This support comes at a pivotal point in my career as a starting Assistant professor, and provides me with a unique opportunity to pursue an important and challenging problem in Galactic astrophysics. Crucially, the fellowship offers the resources I need to recruit and train exceptional young talent so that we can work together towards achieving the goal of unraveling the 3D nature of the Galaxy's magnetic field."

More information:

Presentations of the research conducted by each researcher are available at the homepage of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation: Wallenberg Academy Fellows

Press release from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation: Wallenberg Academy Fellows tackle issues in future research

Photo: Patrik Lundin