Valentina Guccini

My research vision is to reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the environment by developing materials and processes that align with natural and local ecosystems. I am committed to a healthy research culture centred on empathy and cooperation. Science and innovation are driven by people, and if we feel great, great things will happen.

I graduated in Chemistry from Sassari University (Italy). I obtained my PhD in 2019 from Stockholm University, which included a short research visit to Seoul National University (South Korea) and at ITAE Centre for Advanced Technology (Italy). The same year, I moved to Aalto University (Finland) to work as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2022, I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Council of Finland, which included a one-year mobility to SciLifeLab (Stockholm). In 2024 I joined Uppsala University as a tenured track Assistant Professor and Associate senior lecturer.

In our group, we use creative approaches to develop bio-based materials for fossil-free energy applications and biotechnological processes, with a special focus on nanocellulose. We focus on key aspects such as self-assembly, water interaction, structure-property relationship and matrix-biological interactions. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, we explore biodesign to investigate the role of bio-based resources in developing innovative materials and fostering new desing practices.