CURRICULUM VITAE PAGONA PAPAKONSTANTINOU; BSc Physics, PhD Materials Science, FRSC, Professor, Engineering Research Institute (ERI), Ulster University
Pagona Papakonstantinou has been educated in Greece (BSc (Hons) in Physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) and Great Britain (MSc in opto-electronics and PhD in Materials Science from Queen’s University Belfast). Since 2009 is Professor of Advanced Materials at the Engineering Research Institute of Ulster University and specialises in R&D of strategic novel materials and multifunctional hierarchical architectures for their implementation in health-care, energy and structural sectors. She has carried out research in a wide ranging area, however three main themes can be identified: (i) synthesis of novel carbon and non-carbon based materials and hierarchical architectures employing plasma enhanced CVD and solution based strategies; (ii) investigation of microstructure-electrochemical-mechanical properties relationships and (iii) surface functionalization and characterization the electronic structure of interfaces using both lab and synchrotron based x-ray spectroscopies. Papakonstantinou has authored over 120 publications and her work has received over 6560 citations, with an H index of 39 (google scholar). Her work has attracted international recognition, as exemplified the following honours: (i) invited Research Fellowship from the Royal Society of Chemistry, RSC (2014) through ‘Leaders in the Field’ scheme for her significant contributions to nanoscience and nanomaterials; (ii) a Distinguished Research Fellowship from Ulster University (2003) and (iii) a Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE)/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2012). Papakonstantinou holds a portfolio of 5 patents applications as Lead inventor and three Proof of Concept (funded by INEVSET NI) projects as Lead Investigator, in the area of graphene and other 2D materials. A granted patented technique (US 20140044968) on scalable synthesis of graphene and 2D materials has been licensed to 2-DTech/Versarien Ltd, and has generated new business. Papakonstantinou is reguraly invited to serve and chair panels in numerous national and international funding agencies and organisations including EPSRC, European Commission and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Light Source.