Anna Baldycheva

Dr. Anna Baldycheva is a Senior Lecturer in Electronic Engineering at the University of Exeter, within the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences. She leads the interdisciplinary STEMM Laboratory, focusing on applied R&D in smart materials, photonics, AI, and IoT. With prior research experience at MIT, Trinity College Dublin, and Tyndall National Institute, she has established herself as an internationally recognized innovator and entrepreneur in emerging technologies.

• PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin (2008–2012)
• BSc (Hons) in Physics, St. Petersburg State University (2003–2008)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Exeter (2016–2017)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Management, Smurfit Business School (2009–2010)

Her research spans Nano-Engineering, Opto-Electronics, Photonics, AI, and IoT, with a strong emphasis on real-world applications. She pioneers work in fluid opto-electronics, graphene nanocoatings, and AI-driven emotion recognition and early cancer detection. Her lab develops smart composite materials for flexible electronics, e-textiles, and structural applications, integrating machine learning into healthcare, education, and communications systems.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward applied interdisciplinary innovation, combining materials science with AI and photonics for healthcare diagnostics, energy-efficient computing, and educational technology. Her work frequently bridges fundamental physics with commercialization potential, as seen in spin-out technologies like GSurf and the Electronic-Nose for lung cancer detection.

• Fellow, Royal Microscopical Society (RMS)
• Fellow, Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Expert, Future and Emerging Technologies, European Commission
• Featured in Forbes and Forbes Tech Council
• Editor-in-Chief, InSTEMM Journal
• Associate Editor, Nature Scientific Reports and Discover Nano
• Trustee, Royal Microscopical Society
• Founder, STEMM Global Scientific Society
• Founder, It’s Her! Women in STEMM Initiative

Dr. Baldycheva actively supervises PhD students and has secured industrial collaborations with organizations such as Qinetiq and Lumentum. She leads multiple outreach initiatives, including STEMM Junior for underprivileged children, and serves on the committee for the Jocelyn Bell Brunel PhD Scholarship. She has raised significant research funding through national and international grants, though specific grant names are not listed.

She leads the STEMM Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research group with divisions in Smart Composite Materials, Machine Learning & AI, and Opto-Electronics & Photonics. The lab emphasizes industry collaboration and technology transfer, having produced a university spin-out (GSurf) and multiple media-highlighted innovations.