Stavros X. Drakopoulos, PhD

Associate Research Scholar at Princeton University | The 2024 Peter Debye Prize Awardee | Class of 2026 PMSE Future Faculty Honoree

Princeton, New Jersey, United States

About

✴️ I am a Materials Scientist (University of Patras 🇬🇷) with a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering (Loughborough University 🇬🇧) and a specialization in polymer physics. I spent a total of 3 years as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath 🇬🇧, focusing on electrode manufacturing for Li-ion batteries and polymer dielectric physics, respectively. ✴️ As of June 2023, I have been working at the Princeton Materials Institute, affiliated with Princeton University 🇺🇲, as an Associate Research Scholar. My research at Princeton focuses on polymer physics and dielectrics. ✴️ I am the 2024 awardee of the Peter Debye Prize for Young Investigators for Excellence in Dielectric Research, awarded by the International Dielectric Society (IDS), for my contributions to dielectric polymer physics. In 2026, I was recognized as one of the PMSE Future Faculty Honorees by the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ✴️ Overall, I am the co-author of 2 book chapters and 28 peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, which have attracted over 750 citations according to Google Scholar. My long-term objective is to build an independent research program that drives both fundamental insights and technological innovation in polymer-based materials.

Experience

  • Princeton University (Full-time · 3 yrs 1 mo)
    • Associate Research Scholar
      Aug 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

    • Postdoctoral Research Associate
      Jun 2023 - Jul 2023 · 2 mos

      Advisor: prof. Rodney D. Priestley Princeton Materials Institute Polymer physics, dielectric physics, polymer nanodielectrics, relaxation dynamics, broadband dielectric spectroscopy

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Bath
    Dec 2021 - Mar 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Advisor: prof. Kamal Asadi Department of Physics

  • University of Birmingham (Birmingham, England, United Kingdom)
    • The Faraday Institution Research Fellow
      Apr 2021 - Nov 2021 · 8 mos

      School of Metallurgy and Materials

    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
      Mar 2020 - Mar 2021 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Advisor: prof. Emma Kendrick Electrode manufacturing for Li-ion batteries. Worked on the IDMBAT project, funded by InnovateUK.

  • Loughborough University (3 yrs)
    • Teaching Assistant
      Mar 2018 - Sep 2019 · 1 yr 7 mos

      Department of Materials Assistant Thesis Supervisor: > Mr. Jing Yang (BEng and MEng thesis projects) > Ms. Linlin Guan (MEng thesis project) Laboratory Assistant: > CGA014 module for BEng students on Tensile Properties of Polymers. Lecturer: > MPP501 module for MEng students entitled ‘’Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and its Applications in Polymer Science’’.

    • PhD Student / Research Assistant
      Oct 2016 - Sep 2019 · 3 yrs

      Supervisors: Dr Sara Ronca, Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani, Dr Simon Martin I defended my Ph.D. research on the 25th of November 2019 and received my Ph.D. diploma on the 16th of December 2019 graduation ceremony.

  • Academic Visitor at Department of Materials Science, University of Patras
    Jun 2017 - Jun 2017 · 1 mo

    Smart Materials and Nanodielectrics Laboratory - Polymer science research employing Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and DC Energy Storage and Recovery