Meet the WISE Fellows

In this series of interviews, you will meet the WISE Fellows. This time you will meet Erica Zeglio, who has joined Stockholm University as an Assistant Professor and WISE Fellow.  You will also be able to find out more about their research here.

Most bio/-electronic devices comprise critical raw materials as core device components and are microfabricated using high temperature/hazardous chemicals. Solutions are needed to mitigate the trade-off between the benefits of digitalization and the increase of waste generated by such technologies – from production to disposal. A paradigm shift in materials and device design is needed to advance the field of electronics, particularly for short-lived applications.

– With our research we strive to provide alternatives to the materials and fabrication processes that are currently used in bioelectronic devices. Our vision is that future organic electronics will be developed using benign synthesis conditions and processing methods and, for devices that are not meant to last for a lifetime, a route for degradation/recycling in environmental or biological conditions. The research that I have initiated is founded on these visions. says Erica Zeglio.

Erica joined Stockholm University and WISE in September last year. She started her academic journey from Pavia University, with an undergraduate degree in chemistry. It was as a PhD student under the guidance of Prof. O. Inganäs in Linköping University, where she had the chance to learn about conducting polymers and organic electronics. Her postdoctoral experiences in Australia, as part of the G. Wallace and D. Mawad groups, broadened her competences on the development and use of materials to interface with biological systems. She returned to Sweden in 2020 where, as a researcher and Marie Curie Fellow in HerlandLab, she had the chance to learn about microfluidics, device interface with cells in vitro, and to initiate her journey as an independent academic.

-The endeavor carried out by WISE to enable sustainability through innovation in materials science aligns very well with my vision to provide sustainable solutions for electronic materials and devices. A paradigm shift in materials and device design is needed to advance the field of electronics, particularly for short-lived applications, continues Erica.

-WISE is the perfect platform for me and my group, providing the resources, competences, and network to enable our vision. Most importantly, WISE is a unique opportunity for the next generation of young scientists, who will be equipped with the best possible tools to make a difference in the future, even more than what we can envision today, concludes Erica.