Professor Valeria Nicolosi, a native of Italy, is Trinity’s Chair of Nanomaterials and Advanced Microscopy. This year, she is the only non-Irish Highly Cited Researcher from Trinity. She has appeared on the list since 2018 and recalls being delighted at her mentioning: “It’s a stamp of recognition from your colleagues: your papers are read, referenced, and you become a driver rather than a follower in research. It’s a significant achievement that reflects the dedication of my entire team because every paper represents a huge amount of collective effort”.
Nonetheless, she emphasised that achievements never mark an endpoint. “When you receive an award or funding, it only marks the beginning of something new.” Because at least six months are needed for submitted work to become published, her group moves on immediately after writing the paper, onto the next challenge.
Throughout her talk, “we” and “our” slipped far more often than “I” and “my” when referring to her goals, ambitions, and achievements. “Collaboration is core, especially given the multifaceted nature of the questions we try to answer”, she said. “It would be unfair for me to say I own all the expertise needed to answer every aspect of these difficult questions.”
Endlessly curious as a child, she dismantled every device to understand how it worked. Valeria Nicolosi enjoyed many subjects at school but chose to study Chemistry at the University of Catania, following the inspiration by her teacher. This gave her a solid knowledge base, and she applied for three PhD positions abroad – in Ireland, the US and Spain – all of which offered her a place. Inspired by the work of Professor Werner Blau and wanting to stay in Europe while moving to an English-speaking country, she chose Trinity. Upon her arrival, however, she discovered that her PhD focused on nanomaterials rather than the project she had been enthusiastic about. Yet the new topic intrigued her, becoming the field she “entered and never left”.
Arriving in Ireland with only school-level English, the first months were challenging, but she believes this experience was transformative and greatly increased her confidence. After completing her PhD, she became a permanent professor at Oxford. However, Nicolosi found the environment overly competitive and conservative. She returned to Trinity, which she describes as open, collaborative and collegial – “the essence of what I like”.
Over her career, Valeria Nicolosi has received two major Educational Research Centre (ERC) grants and six additional ERC-funded awards, eight in total. These grants are extremely hard to get, and she marks them as “cornerstones” enabling much of her later success. She also highlights receiving a knighthood from the Italian president for research achievements as one of the most meaningful events in her career.
Valeria Nicolosi also became the first woman to hold the Chair in the School of Chemistry since Trinity’s foundation in 1592. “I was very proud to be the one who actually brought down the wall,” she said, “but I also realised that there is a long way to go for women to be recognised for their achievements”.
She now leads a research project on sustainable battery alternatives with Jonathan Coleman. Initially working on lithium-ion batteries, she grew concerned about their environmental and ethical impact. “Through my research I always think of how I can play my part to make things better”, she said. “That’s why I decided to move towards more sustainable chemistries.” Developing batteries based on sodium and potassium – abundant, cheap and sustainably sourced elements – became her new focus.
“E-Wood” is another project led by Nicolosi. By mixing polymers derived from recycled wood with nanomaterials, her team creates composites that shield electromagnetic radiation. This invention is important because every electronic device emits electromagnetic waves, and when those waves overlap, they can disrupt a device’s performance. The problem is especially critical in technologies like satellites and radios, where signal clarity is essential. Shielding materials like E-Wood help prevent this interference, ensuring that devices operate reliably.
Nicolosi admits that maintaining a work-life balance is a persistent challenge. “Research is not a 9 to 5 type of work. You cannot leave your problems at the office; you bring your office at home.” Early in her career, she worked hard to create a team she could trust, putting long hours into lab work and research group creation. Although the nature of her work has shifted, she still works “endless hours”.
Though Valeria Nicolosi loves lab work, she no longer conducts hands-on research. Instead, she focuses on managing grant proposals, writing papers, teaching and supervising. “I had to give up doing research myself”, she said, “and learn to do science through the hands and eyes of my team”. While she misses bench work, the managerial role she is now heavily involved in remains fulfilling for her.
One of her dreams is to see her group’s research commercialised and used in real-world applications. “We are working hard to get investment and funding to spin out our company”, she said. Recently, she submitted a proposal to apply energy storage devices in bioengineering. This will allow cardiostimulants to last longer and reduce the need for repeated surgery, which, she believes, promises to be truly transformative.
To young girls wanting to pursue science, Valeria Nicolosi offered one piece of advice: “Don’t think of yourself as a woman in science. Science is genderless, so don’t put any barriers – just pursue your dreams and believe in yourself”.
