The Plenary of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts has decided to award the Young Scientist Prize to Dr Eleni Stavrinidou. The decision was taken during the Academy’s 66th Plenary Session, following a proposal by the Division of Natural Sciences.

According to the Academy’s announcement, “Dr Stavrinidou was recognised as a model Young Scientist whose work embodies the principles of interdisciplinarity, innovation, and social responsibility, advancing the transition toward sustainable technological solutions. Her pioneering research bridges physics, materials science, biology, and engineering, aiming to connect technology with living systems.”

The statement continues: “She was the first to demonstrate the integration of functional electronic circuits into living plants, introducing the concept of ‘electronic plants’. This innovation opened new pathways for applications in environmental sensors, biohybrid energy-harvesting systems, and green electronics.”

Dr Stavrinidou is Associate Professor at Linköping University in Sweden and leads the Electronic Plants research group within the Laboratory of Organic Electronics. She studied physics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and completed her PhD in Organic Electronics at the Mines Saint-Étienne School of Engineering in France.

Her broader research focuses on soft, conductive, and biocompatible organic materials that enable the creation of interfaces between electronic and biological tissues.

“Her publications in leading journals such as Nature Materials, Nature Communications, and Science Advances, along with her receipt of an ERC Starting Grant, attest to her international standing and her significant contribution to scientific research,” the Academy added.

The Young Scientist Prize is awarded to distinguished scientists under the age of forty who have demonstrated substantial achievements and contributions in their respective fields. Eligible candidates include citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, regardless of residence, as well as foreign nationals residing permanently in Cyprus.