TEAM

TEAM LEADER

Dr. Paola Lova,

Assistant Professor Senior (RTD B)

Paola Lova obtained a MSc in Industrial Chemistry in 2012 from the University of Genova and a PhD in 2017 from the Nanyang Technological University with a thesis on photonic crystal sensor.

Since 2020, as an assistant ptofessor she is focusing on metal oxide nanostructures to improve light harvesting in photoactive media. Before LOOP, has been PI of an industrial project aimed at the sequestration and optical detection of food degradation by-products and unit coordinator of WATERONIC project, targeting new structures for harvesting enhancement in photocatalytic processes for the degradation of emerging pollutant in water.

Dr. Andrea Lanfranchi

Assistant Professor Junior (RTD A)

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Physics in 2018, Andrea moved to Materials Science and Engineering for his master’s degree. He graduated in 2021 with a thesis on polymer multilayer structures used as thermal shields to reflect near-infrared radiation and reduce radiative heating. He then earned his PhD focusing on photonics for heat managment. Andrea joined the LOOP project on january 2026 as a junior assistant professor.

Davide

Pratolongo

POSTDOC

Davide earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Genoa, with theses in organic chemistry on the Ugi reaction for the synthesis of seven-membered cyclic molecules. After an ERASMUS experience at the University of Groningen focused on organic synthesis, he completed a PhD at the University of Genoa on the synthesis and characterization of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals, with emphasis on solvents and ligands. He then joined the LOOP team as a postdoctoral researcher, working on semiconductor–plasmonic junctions for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water.

Riccardo Trevia

PhD Student

Riccardo earned his BSc in Chemistry and Chemical Technologies in 2023 and his MSc in Chemical Sciences in 2025 from the University of Genoa. He joined the TEAM in 2025 as a PhD student, working on the synthesis and characterization of semiconductor-plasmonic materials junctions, as catalysts for the photo-reduction of PFAS employing solar energy in environmental conditions.