The PhD thesis was supervised by Mariano Campoy-Quiles, from the NANOPTO group at ICMAB-CSIC. The PhD Committee that evaluated the Thesis was formed by Clara M. Gómez, Universitat de València, Spain (President), Carmen Ocal García, Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, (Secretary), and Simone Fabiano, Linköping University, Sweden (Vocal).

Osnat Zapata's PhD thesis was part of the PhD Programme in Materials Science from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

Dr. Osnat Zapata and collegues after his PhD defense

Why did you choose the ICMAB for your PhD?

By chance, I saw a PhD offer in a topic that I am interested in, and contacted the professor in charge.

How would you explain your research to a non-scientific audience?

My PhD Thesis aims to understand better the parameters that influence the performance in organic thermoelectrics: materials that harvest heat and transform it into electricity.

What are the main applications of your research? Could you give us an example?

The main applications are in the development of organic thermoelectric materials for low power applications and for organic electronics.

From the lessons learnt here, which one do you value the most?

I learned how to present better my results.

What will you miss the most from ICMAB?

The community, it feels very familiar and united.

How do you think this experience will contribute to your training and to your future?

I think that presenting results in a digestible and interesting fashion is a key aspect both in industry, and research.

What are your plans once you finish your PhD?

Find any type of work that allows me to keep working in a laboratory.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your PhD, that now you can recommend to the ones who are starting?

Basic knowledge in python and latex.

Why did you become a scientist? Which have been your role models?

Out of curiosity. My family is my role model.

Which is your favorite female scientist? And why?

Jennifer Doudna, for her novel and super interesting work with the CRISPR gene editing.

Describe in 3 keywords…

• Your research: Thermoelectrics, polymers, doping
• Barcelona: Multicultural, tolerant, welcoming
• Your experience at ICMAB: Family, friendly, welcoming

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