Dr. Eleni Makarona, with a BSc in Physics from the National University of Athens (1998) and an MSc (2000) and PhD (2004) in Physics from Brown University, is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN).. Her current research focuses on the development of optical biosensor solutions for point-of-need biodiagnostics, food safety, and quality applications. Additionally, she is involved in the development of metal oxide-based nanoarchitectures and nanostructures for various applications (optoelectronics, sensors, polymer nanocomposites and gultural heritage preservation) towards a sustainable semiconductor industry. Dr. Makarona has over 70 publications, more than 110 conference presentations, and co-authorship of 3 book chapters. She is a reviewer for more than 20 journals and participates in organizing committees for conferences related to microelectronics and nanotechnology. Additionally, she assesses proposals and projects for GSRI, the EU, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Serbia, Romania, and Croatia. She holds co-inventor status for 7 patents. Dr. Makarona has also supervised numerous internships, BSc theses, and MSc theses in collaboration with various Greek universities. Currently, she is supervising 2 PhD students, 2 MSc candidates, and 2 BSc students.
In addition to her role as the elected representative of the Research Personnel on the Board of Directors, she also serves as a member of INN’s Scientific Council and actively participates in working groups within the center’s Gender Equality Committee. Driven by a sense of social responsibility, she is dedicated to promoting science through popularized talks, advocating for women in STEM, mentoring students, and supporting Physics summer schools. She is the recipient of the 2010 L’Oréal-Unesco Award for Young Women in Science (Greece) and currently serves as an Ambassador for the L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science Community Platform.