Rate My Professor Vadim Kessler

Vadim Kessler is the Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Bionanotechnology and Head of the Department of Molecular Sciences at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. He leads the Inorganic and Physical Chemistry research group, which develops inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials for environmental and biomedical applications, spanning metal-organic precursor chemistry, nanoparticle formation mechanisms, and uses in water remediation, biocontrol in agriculture, drug delivery, and energy sources. Graduating with honours from Moscow State University (MSU) in 1987, Kessler earned his PhD in inorganic chemistry from MSU in 1990. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in MSU's Department of Inorganic Chemistry, followed by a half-time postdoctoral position at the X-ray Crystallography Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1990-1991). He conducted sabbatical research as an Associate Researcher at CNRS, University of Nice, with Prof. L.G. Hubert-Pfalzgraf (1992-1993), and as a visiting scientist at Stockholm University (1995-1996). Appointed Associate Professor at MSU in 1995, he moved to Sweden in 1997 as Associate Professor in SLU's Department of Chemistry.

Kessler obtained his Habilitation Degree in 2000 and was promoted to Full Professor at SLU in 2004. His research specializes in molecular mechanisms of soft chemistry approaches to nanomaterials and their surface reactivity, with applications in biomedicine and agriculture. He has authored influential books, including "The Chemistry of Metal Alkoxides" (2002) and "Sol-Gel Methods for Materials Processing: Focusing on Materials for Pollution Control, Water Purification and Soil Remediation" (2008). Kessler received the International Donald Ulrich Award for Excellence in Sol-Gel Science in 2003 and has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology since 2006. He has supervised 25 undergraduate and Master's students and 7 PhD students (4 as main supervisor), developed courses such as Practical X-ray Crystallography, sol-gel technology, and bio-nanotechnology, and contributed to international networks like ENHANCE.