Shahab Akhavan

Cambridge-trained Materials Scientist and Electrical Engineer with over 10 years of experience developing advanced nanomaterials, functional thin films and optoelectronic devices for next-generation electronic and photonic applications. Expertise spans graphene, layered materials, colloidal quantum dots, metal nanoparticles, conductive inks and flexible electronics, with extensive experience in nanomaterial processing, printable electronics, thin-film fabrication and advanced electrical, optical and structural characterisation. Author of 30+ publications and inventor on three patents, with a strong track record of translating laboratory research into scalable technologies through industrial collaborations and innovation programmes.

Lecturer (Teaching) - University College London (UCL) - London

(2021-01 - 2026-12)

• Led advanced materials research programmes spanning functional materials, printed materials and electronics, and sustainable technologies.
• Developed functional electronic materials for wearable, flexible and sustainable electronic systems.
• Developed graphene, colloidal quantum dot and hybrid nanomaterial devices through wet chemistry, solution processing and microprinting.
• Led prototype development and advanced characterisation of electronic materials.
• Managed laboratory infrastructure, instrumentation and technical operations.
• Secured £50k+ innovation funding.
• Supervised materials-development research.
• Generated US patent, technical reports and data-driven recommendations, providing guidance on materials optimisation, process improvement and device performance.

Research Associate - University of Cambridge - United Kingdom

(2020-01 - 2021-12)

• Developed advanced functional nanomaterials including liquid-phase exfoliated graphene and layered materials, CVD graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), graphene quantum dots and colloidal inorganic quantum dots for next-generation optoelectronic, sensing and energy applications.
• Engineered graphene-based nanomaterials and hybrid material systems with tailored electrical and optical properties for broadband photodetectors, gas sensors, flexible electronic devices and wearable sensing platforms.
• Designed, fabricated and characterised photosensors, gas sensors and stretchable electronic devices on flexible substrates including paper, fibres, textiles and PET, using solution processing, microfabrication and printable electronics techniques.
• Investigated processing–structure–property relationships using advanced characterisation including SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, AFM, FTIR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and electrical/optical measurements to optimise material and device performance.
• Established reproducible laboratory workflows supporting materials synthesis, prototype fabrication, process optimisation and technology development, enabling reliable translation from laboratory research to functional devices.
• Managed the Cambridge delivery of Work Packages 3 and 8 within the £20M EU Graphene Flagship, coordinating international collaboration, technical reporting and technology development on flexible electronics and broadband graphene-based photodetectors with industrial partners including Huawei and Emberion.

PhD - Engineering - University of Cambridge (2016-01 - 2020-12)

Master of Materials Science - Materials Science - Bilkent University (2010-01 - 2013-12)

Bachelor - Metallurgical and Materials Engineering - Middle East Technical University (2005-01 - 2010-12)