Dr Athanasia Kostopoulou received her B.Sc. degree in Physics (2004) and her M.Sc. degree (2006) on Materials Physics & Technology from the Physics Department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2012, when received her Ph.D. from the Chemistry Department at the University of Crete, she is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser at FORTH (Heraklion). Since 2018 and for the next three years, she is coordinator of the program for new researchers with title “Low-Temperature Growth of Perovskite Nanosystems for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells” financially supported by General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) and the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI). She is working on the chemical synthesis and elucidation of the microscopic physical mechanisms involving nanocrystal systems of different chemical phases and morphologies (magnetic and semiconducting).  

Education

• 2012 Ph.D. in Chemistry – Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Greece
• 2006 Master in “Materials Physics and Technology” – Physics Department – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• 2004 Bachelor in Physics – Physics Department – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Career

• 10/2018 -Today, Coordinator of the program “Low-Temperature Growth of Perovskite Nanosystems for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells” financially supported by General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) and the Hellenic Foundation for Resea
• 9/2016 – 09/2018, Post-doc Fellow, Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, FORTH, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
• 1/2013 – 12/2014 Post-doc Fellow, Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, FORTH, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
• 10/2003 – 06/2004 Program, “ePhys: Towards and effective use of ICT for Open Learning in Teaching of Physics in Europe”, Physics Department, AUTH, Thessaloniki, Greece
• 09/2005 – 12/2005 Program, “ePhys: Towards and effective use of ICT for Open Learning in Teaching of Physics in Europe”, Physics Department, AUTH, Thessaloniki, Greece

Interests

• Synthesis of nanocrystals by using Glove-Box and Schlenk techniques for applications in biology (MRI, hyperthermia, theranostics), energy conversion (photovoltaics) and storage (batteries)
• Magnetic, metallic or semiconducting nanocrystals of one or more chemical phases in centrosymmetric or anisotropic structures
• Laser-induced synthesis of nanocrystals
• Films of nanoparticulate systems
• Structural analysis of the nanocrystals by using Powder X-Ray Diffraction and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM)
• Optical characterization by using UV-Vis and PL Spectroscopy
• Magnetic characterization by using SQUID Magnetometry
• Elucidation of the microscopic physical mechanisms involving nanocrystal systems of different chemical phases and morphologies (magnetic and semiconducting)

Awards/Prizes/Distinctions

• 2018, Coordinator of the program for young researchers with title “Low-Temperature Growth of Perovskite Nanosystems for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells” financially supported by General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) and the Hellen
• 2016, Team leader that excelled in the 10 best in the category for Applied Research in the 3rd Competition "Greece innovates!" Organized by Eurobank and SEV
• 2016 - 2017 FELLOWSHIP OF EXCELLENCE FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDIES IN GREECE- SIEMENS PROGRAM
• 2015, Best poster presentation: 20th International Conference on Magnetism, Barcelona