Meet the Team

Patrik Johansson is the Director for the Graphene Flagship. He is Professor in Physics at Chalmers University of Technology and also co-director of Alistore-ERI, a unit within CNRS, France. His focus is on battery research and development, where he holds a 10-year Distinguished Professor Grant from the Swedish Research Council. 
He has used graphene to leverage Li-S batteries within Core 3 (a previous iteration of the Graphene Flagship) and also studied grafted graphene-based electrodes, both computationally and experimentally, with partners in Slovenia and Bulgaria.

Macarena Muñoz Ruiz leads the governance and coordination work of the Graphene Flagship. Macarena holds a Bachelor in Law and Master's Degree in European Studies, and joined the Graphene Flagship in December 2014. She previously worked on different EU-funded projects and initiatives at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and collaborated with the Spanish Ministry of Science as FP7/H2020 National Contact Point. Passionate about Mediterranean culture, food and weather, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and trying to find the perfect gazpacho recipe!

Jackie Brown-Bauer is a Project Manager, responsible for 2D-PL project administration and various aspects of coordination and governance in the Graphene Flagship. Jackie has two Master’s degrees in Eastern European History and Politics and a BA in History and English Literature (she’s doing her best to become literate in the sciences!). Before joining the Graphene Flagship, she worked for Region Västra Götaland in the Department of Research and Innovation. Jackie is originally from the United States but has been living in Sweden for ten years, where she has learned the art of “fika” and how to survive in the northern latitudes.

Rebecca Waters oversees the Dissemination activities and manages project tasks and personnel. Rebecca also serves as the Graphene Flagship Communications Officer writing and disseminating corporate news, managing the website and overseeing media outreach. A former journalist with a degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Rebecca worked for both consumer and B2B magazines before joining the Graphene Flagship. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, boating and exploring the world with her family.

Luciana Zanin-Löberg, a Project Manager at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, leads networking and collaboration initiatives at the Graphene Flagship. This involves organizing events like the annual Graphene Week meeting, digital events, and the Alumni program to facilitate knowledge exchange, create business opportunities, and offer impactful experiences to specialists and early career professionals. Luciana's definition of success centers on positive impact events, social responsibility, innovation and learning opportunities. With a master’s degrees in business, she traded Brazil's tropical climates for a more tranquil life in Sweden, where she enjoys activities like riding her electric bicycle.

Flavia Maia is a Project Manager at the Graphene Flagship. She has been working with the Flagship since 2015, organising reviews and other meetings, editing the Crew Communication and Onboard. Since February 2024 Flavia is more involved with the CSA Governance and reporting, she also is the person to reach when thinking Diversity in Graphene. Flavia is a journalist and has worked as a radio producer and tv reporter in her home country Brazil. She lives in Mölndal with her husband and son, in a house where the radio is always on playing anything from AC/DC to Brazilian MPB!

Dana Gilliland-Wiström provides strategic communications support to the Dissemination team and comes with experience in project and event management, public outreach and communications and holds a Master's degree in Sustainability Science from Lund University, Sweden (although originally from California). Dana splits her time between the Graphene Flagship and the Circular Economy team at Chalmers Industriteknik. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, swimming, ceramics and cooking.  

Sara Plebani contributes to the Dissemination Team at the Graphene Flagship, where she specializes in event management and communication. With an MS in Communication from Göteborg Universitet and a BA in Foreign Languages and International Relations from Italy, Sara decided to move to Sweden three years ago after studying Swedish in her home country. She now spends her free time exploring her adoptive country, experimenting with cooking and getting creative through crafting and photography.

Kirsten Loewenthal provides marketing and social media expertise at the Graphene Flagship, joining in May 2024. She develops strategies to increase visibility and engagement through social media, using insights from people’s behaviour online to create compelling content. Kirsten also brings expertise in video production and a natural ability to connect with people.She holds a master’s in Marketing and Social Media, along with studies in Business Planning and Sociology. Currently, she’s diving into neuromarketing. Kirsten is also a visual artist and illustrator. In her free time she enjoys painting, sculpting, singing and dancing. She is a passionate art and music lover—there’s always a song playing in her head.

Sofia Öiseth is the outreach manager for the Graphene Flagship and is responsible for organising Innovation workshops that bring industry and academia together. Sofia has over 20 years of experience in applied research with expertise in material and food science and has worked as a research scientist in Australia at Monash University and at CSIRO. In August 2019, she joined Chalmers Industriteknik and the Graphene Flagship. When not at work she enjoys being outdoors.

Dr. Kari Hjelt holds a PhD in Engineering Physics from Helsinki University of Technology, as well as an Executive MBA from the London Business School. Hjelt has extensive experience in building up corporate research and venture activities. He has been the founder and CEO of several start-up companies, as well as worked as director at Nokia Ventures Organization and at Nokia Research Centre. Currently, Hjelt leads the Innovation work package at the Graphene Flagship, where he also is a member of the Executive Board.

Dr. Henning Döscher is a project manager and senior researcher at the Emerging Technologies department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI in Karlsruhe, Germany, since 2017. His work at Fraunhofer ISI focuses on innovation systems investigations on novel materials and technologies. Among other projects, Henning currently contributes to the Graphene Flagship Project, where he coordinates the Technology and Innovation Roadmap process. He studied Physics (and Physical Technologies) as well as Business Information Systems at TU Clausthal. In 2006, he joined Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (former Hahn-Meitner-Institut) and received his doctorate from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 2010 based on a thesis on III-V heteroepitaxy on silicon substrates. 

Dr. Ana Maria Ciubotaru is Science Officer at the European Science Foundation. Within the GrapheneEU CSA, she is leading the European and international alignment Work Package which aims at strengthening the 2DM community and promoting synergies between the Graphene Flagship and other relevant national and regional initiatives and stakeholders. Ana-Maria has been working with the Flagship for over a decade on activities related to European alignment and international collaborations. She holds a Master’s degree in materials science and a PhD in physical chemistry from the Universities of Transilvania (Romania) and Bourgogne (France).

Stefania Vitale is Project Officer at European Science Foundation (France). In Graphene Flagship she contributes to the management and implementation of European alignment and international collaborations. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Catania (Italy), with a solid background in material chemistry and extensive knowledge in nanomaterials and surface engineering. After her PhD she worked as postdoctoral research fellow at University College Dublin (Ireland) and University of Strasbourg (France), gaining significant expertise in academic research and scientific projects management. Off work she enjoys baking and cooking, and she is an enthusiastic book reader.

Thomas Reiss is Senior Scientist at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany, and member of the Graphene Flagship roadmap team. He holds a doctoral degree in Molecular Biology from Freiburg University, Germany. After a post-doctoral fellowship at the DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University (USA) he joined Fraunhofer ISI as Project Manager in 1987. 1996-2004 Head of the department Innovations in Biotechnology, from 2005 to 2020 Head of the Competence Center Emerging Technologies. Since 2014 Thomas has been PI of the Fraunhofer Team within the Graphene Flagship and coordinator the roadmap work. He served as Head and Deputy Head of Work Package Industrialisation of the previous phase of the Graphene Flagship.

Dr. Jörg Radnik is Senior Scientist at the Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing, Berlin in the Division 6.1 “Surface analysis and Interfacial Chemistry” and working in the competence centre nano@BAM. His research focuses on the chemical analysis of nanostructured materials with the aim to enhance the accuracy and conformity of the applied methods. In this field, he is involved in different EU projects. Since October 2023, he is leading the standardisation and regulation task in the Graphene Flagship CSA. Furthermore, he is member of different national and international Standardisation Committees, in prenormative research and metrological activities.

Professor Andrea Ferrari earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Cambridge University, after a Laurea in nuclear engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. He is Professor of Nanotechnology and Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre and EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology. He is Fellow of Pembroke College, the American Physical Society, the Institute of Physics and the Materials Research Society.

Coordinator, MUNASET

Dr Alexey Tarasov is a member of the Coordination Board of the Graphene Flagship initiative and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences (KUAS), Germany. In 2023, he received a research focus professorship funded by the German Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMBF). Before joining KUAS in 2019, Alexey was head of the nanomaterial-based biosensors group at the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, where he developed graphene biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics in collaboration with Roche. From 2013 to 2015, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA, where he worked on 2D materials for flexible electronics and sensors. He received a Ph.D. in experimental physics from the University of Basel, Switzerland, in 2012, where he worked on silicon nanowires and graphene for biosensing applications. In addition, he has a diploma in physics from the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany, 2009, with a thesis on quantum wires. Prof Tarasov is currently leading several research projects funded by EU, national, regional and private sources on 2D materials, bioelectronic interfaces and biosensors for future applications in biomedical research, diagnostics and therapy. 

Coordinator, GIANCE

Ana Villacampa, PhD in Chemistry and Materials Science, has extensive experience in R&D project management, particularly in European collaborative projects. She is currently the Coordinator of the GIANCE project under Horizon Europe. Ana’s background includes roles as R&D European Projects Manager at CSIC, Technology Transfer Projects Manager at the University of Barcelona, and International Projects Manager at Eurecat, where she specialised in nanotechnology, chemistry, and electronics. She has a strong focus on decarbonisation, circular economy, and sustainable materials.

Scientific Coordinator, GIANCE

Prof. Ahmed Elmarakbi, PhD, CEng, FIMechE, SFHEA, is an internationally recognized authority in automotive composites, advanced nanomaterials, and graphene-related materials. He is the Scientific Coordinator of the GIANCE project under Horizon Europe and leads cutting-edge research in advanced materials at Northumbria University. Prof. Elmarakbi has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers and secured over £50 million in research funding. His contributions to the field include groundbreaking work on graphene-based composites in automotive applications and leading several high-profile EU projects.

Strategic Partnerships & Liaison Manager, GIANCE

Aldo Di Carlo, PhD, is a Full Professor at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and Director of the Institute of Structure of Matter (ISM) at the CNR. He currently serves as the Strategic Partnerships & Liaison Manager for the GIANCE project under Horizon Europe. Aldo has an extensive background in solar cells, nanoelectronics, and optoelectronics. He has led several EU projects, including CITYSOLAR and OPTHER, and plays a key role in strategic partnerships and research coordination within the GIANCE project. Aldo has over 700 scientific publications and is a member of prominent research bodies like EERA-JPPV.

Exploitation Manager, GIANCE

Aitor Hornés, PhD, is a Senior Innovation Consultant with over 15 years of international experience in Advanced Materials, Catalysis, Fuel Cells, and Circularity. He is the Exploitation Manager for the GIANCE project, where he leads the dissemination, exploitation, and communication efforts. Aitor has worked at leading research institutions globally, including DLR (Germany) and UPenn (USA), and has expertise in R&D strategy, project management, and innovation. In addition to his work on GIANCE, he manages the European Lightweight Cluster Alliance (ELCA) and has been awarded the Christian Schönbein Bronze Medal for his research.

Dissemination Manager, GIANCE

Silvia Colella is an experienced EU Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in managing and working on R&D innovation projects under Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020. She is the Dissemination Manager for the GIANCE project, overseeing communication and dissemination strategies. Silvia has a background in Geodynamics, Geophysics and Volcanology and has been involved in multiple EU-funded initiatives, including REE4EU and H4C EUROPE. Her expertise includes grant proposal development, stakeholder engagement, and the development of digital platforms to support innovation ecosystems.

Coordinator, GRAPHERGIA

Spyros Yannopoulos has been serving as a Research Director at the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) in Greece for over 23 years. Two years ago, he assumed the role of Professor of Physical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Patras while maintaining his position at FORTH as a collaborative faculty member. As an expert in the development and applications of innovative advanced materials, he leads the FORTH team within the GRAPHERGIA project and supervises the research efforts of the entire consortium, which is set to power the future of energy with graphene.

Communication & Dissemination, GRAPHERGIA

Laura Argilés is a Marketing Manager at AUSTRALO, a marketing agency with the mission to accelerate the Lab-to-Market Value Chain. With a background in Journalism, she has over ten years of experience in Marketing and Communication, working in EU projects driving innovation in Europe since 2017, in topics ranging from manufacturing and smart mobility, to robotics, next generation internet, telecommunications, circular economy, and now graphene and 2D materials. In GRAPHERGIA, Laura plans and implements the Communication and Dissemination strategy to explain the impact that the GRAPHERGIA research will have on our society.

IPR Management, GRAPHERGIA

Konstantinos Vavekis is a European Patent Attorney operating with his company Euglottia based in Greece and the Director of PRAXI Network, the Technology Transfer Office of FORTH. With significant expertise in the exploitation of innovation, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) strategic management, patents and technology valuation, financial advisory services and IPR education, he supports the GRAPHERGIA project team to safeguard the key exploitable results, and innovation for their further exploitation in the European target markets.

Exploitation, GRAPHERGIA

Mona Marill is a Project Manager for a Spanish marketing agency, AUSTRALO Marketing Lab, and a partner in the GRAPHERGIA project, where she leads all the project’s impact activities. She has been involved in EU research and innovation projects for over a decade and enjoys the continuous learning that the different innovation projects imply. In the GRAPHERGIA project, Mona oversees the Dissemination, Communication, and Exploitation work, ensuring that research results are most effectively opened to the community