Olli Ikkala Professor, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

Professor Olli Ikkala is an Academy Professor of the Academy of Finland and the Professor of Polymer Physics and Molecular Nanostructures at the Helsinki University of Technology, working in the area of functional supramolecular materials. Professor Ikkala is a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, American Association for Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, Materials Research Society and the Finnish Physical Society. He is also a Past-president of the Finnish Physical Society. He also received the Emanuel Merck Award in 2002. Professor Ikkala received his MSc and PhD from the Helsinki University of Technology. His main research effort is to develop concepts for functional nanomaterials based on macromolecules, on synthetic polymers (especially electro- and photoactive polymers), and on biomacromolecules (eg. proteins, polypeptides, nanoscale cellulose fibrils).