Talk
Advanced Interface Engineering: Unlocking the Full Potential of Perovskite Solar Cells

Bio
Dr. Aung Ko Ko Kyaw is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology, a Fellow of RSC (FRSC), and a senior member of IEEE Photonics. He earned his B.Eng. (2007) and Ph.D. (2012) from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of California, Santa Barbara (Alan Heeger’s lab), the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and A*STAR, Singapore. With over 160 SCI papers (11000+ citations, H-index 50) in journals like Energy Environ. Sci., Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., Adv. Energy Mater., and Angewandte Chemie, he also holds 19 patents and has delivered 40 invited talks. His research focuses on organic/perovskite optoelectronics for energy, sensing, and wearable devices. Recognized as a World’s Top 2% Scientist (Stanford) and recipient of the Distinguished Lectureship Award (Japanese Chemical Society), the Green Talents Award (Germany), and the IAAM Medal (Sweden), he drives innovation in sustainable technologies. He serves as an editorial board member of Photonics (MDPI) and an associate editor of Frontiers in Electronic Materials and Nano Futures.

Talk
Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration: From Fundamental Physics to Sustainable Applications

Bio
Lorenzo Giuffrida is the head of the Ion Acceleration and Applications Department at the ELI Beamlines Facility (ELI ERIC), a leading European research infrastructure for high-power laser science. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of Messina (Italy), with research conducted at INFN-LNS (Catania, Italy) on laser ion sources and post-acceleration techniques. After postdoctoral positions at CELIA-CNRS (University of Bordeaux, France), he joined the ELI-Beamlines project in Prague, where he contributed to the development of advanced laser-driven ion acceleration technologies. From 2014 to 2022, he served as a researcher and Deputy Head of the Ion Acceleration Department, playing a key role in the design, development, and commissioning of the ELIMAIA beamline. Since 2023, he has led the department and is responsible for the ELIMAIA and ELIMED user beamlines. His research focuses on laser-driven ion acceleration, laser–plasma interaction diagnostics, and the development of compact particle sources for multidisciplinary applications. He is also actively involved in laser-driven nuclear reactions, with particular emphasis on proton–boron (p–B) fusion and its applications in energy and medical physics. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is actively engaged in international collaborations and user-oriented research programs.

Talk
Photoacoustic, OCT, and Fluorescence Multimodal Imaging-Guided Retinal Stem Cell Therapy

Bio
Yannis M. Paulus, M.D., FACS, FARVO, is an academic vitreoretinal surgeon and clinician scientist who directs an active, multidisciplinary lab applying optics, photonics, biomedical engineering, regenerative medicine, AI, biodesign, and nanoparticles to develop novel retinal imaging and therapies in retinal diseases. He is the Jonas Friedenwald Professor in Ophthalmology and Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute. He serves as inventor on 11 patent applications and has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, Nature Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials, Light: Science and Applications, ACS Nano, Science Advances, Scientific Reports, Ophthalmology, The Lancet, and JAMA Ophthalmology, and has started three retinal start-ups. He is a Fellow of Optica, SPIE (International Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers), the American College of Surgeons, and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). He has received numerous fellowships and awards from leading international organizations, including the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, Senior Member Designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Heed Ophthalmic Foundation, and the Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award from the Macula Society.