Professor Alexei Kornyshev, Imperial College London, UK
Alexei Kornyshev received his Master’s degree from Moscow Physical Engineering Institute in theoretical nuclear physics. After defending his PhD in Physical and Mathematical Sciences (under the guidance of R R Dogonadze), he worked as Research Scientist at the Frumkin Institute of Electrochemistry (Acad Sci), Moscow (1973 - 1991), where in 1986 he defended his DSci dissertation and became Leading Scientist. In 1991 he spent a year at TU Munich, as Humboldt Guest Professor. He was then invited to the Research Centre Juelich, Germany, to lead a Theory Group in a new Institute for Energy Processing with a focus on fundamentals of fuel cells, where in 1997 he was promoted to Head of Division of Theoretical Physical Chemistry, having later received a joint appointment between the Research Centre Juelich and University of Dusseldorf as Professor of Theoretical Physics. In August 2002 he moved to Imperial College for a Chair of Chemical Physics.
He is an expert in theoretical condensed matter chemical physics and its applications to biophysics, electrochemistry, nanoscience, and energy generation and storage. Through the years his areas of research were electron and proton transfer reactions and processes, hydration, metal/electrolyte and liquid-liquid interfaces, transport phenomena in solid electrolytes and polymer electrolyte membranes, interaction and aggregation of helical biopolymers and the structure of chiral liquid crystals, theory of modern fuel cells (PEFC/DMFC, SOFC) and super-capacitors. His current research interests focus on DNA biophysics, optofluidics and nanoplasmonics, molecular electronics and machines, ionic liquids and their applications. He has published over 200 original papers and 25 review articles, filed several patents, edited 5 multi-author books and a number of special issues.
He was a recipient of 1991 Humboldt Prize in Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, 2001 Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, RSC 2006 Geoffrey Barker Electrochemistry Medal; RSC 2010 interdisciplinary Prize, Medal, and Lectureship; he is a Fellow of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, International Society of Electrochemistry, Institute of Physics, Society of Biology, and Royal Society of Chemistry – which reflects interdisciplinary character of his research. He is a Foreign Member of Royal Danish Academy of Science.