Rate My Professor Manish chhowalla

Manish Chhowalla is the Goldsmiths' Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge's Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, serving also as Deputy Head (Research & Philanthropy). He leads the Atoms to Devices Research Area as Partner Lead at the Sir Henry Royce Institute. Chhowalla earned a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Rutgers University in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1998. Following his Ph.D. and Royal Academy of Engineering Postdoctoral Fellowship, he worked in industry developing applications for amorphous diamond. He advanced to Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, before returning to his current role at Cambridge. He holds the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies: Atomically thin semiconductors (2024).

Chhowalla's research focuses on atomically thin two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), studying their electronic, optical, electrochemical properties, phase transformations, synthesis by chemical exfoliation or CVD, and applications in transistors, microelectrochemical cells for catalysis (HER, OER, ORR, CO2RR, NRR), and energy storage. Key publications include "Van der Waals contacts between three-dimensional metals and two-dimensional semiconductors" (Nature, 2019), "Low-dimensional catalysts for hydrogen evolution and CO₂ reduction" (Nature Reviews Chemistry, 2018), "The chemistry of two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets" (Nature Chemistry, 2013), and "Large-area ultrathin films of reduced graphene oxide as a transparent and flexible electronic material" (Nature Nanotechnology, 2008). With over 104,100 citations and h-index 118, his work has significant impact on 2D materials and devices fields. Honors include FREng (2024), Fellow of Materials Research Society (2017), Institute of Physics (2015), Royal Society of Chemistry (2014), Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2016-2018), Royal Society Wolfson Merit Awards (2009, 2018), NSF CAREER Award (2006). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of MRS Energy & Sustainability (2024), Founding Editor-in-Chief of Applied Materials Today (2015-2016), Associate Editor of ACS Nano, and on several editorial boards. Chhowalla has delivered more than 200 invited talks at major international conferences.