Chiara Fedele

Chiara Fedele is a Senior Research Fellow at Tampere University and Grant Coach in the Preaward team, supporting EU funding initiatives. Her research focuses on light-responsive materials for cell-material interactions, combining engineering and biology. She holds a PhD from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and University of Naples 'Federico II', with postdoctoral work in the Smart Photonics Materials (SPM) group under Prof. Arri Priimägi. Key research areas include azobenzene-based materials, photomechanical effects, and cell migration control via surface topography. She employs advanced techniques like atomic force microscopy, digital holography, and confocal imaging.

Her career spans from materials engineering (BSc/MSc at University of Naples) to interdisciplinary biomaterials research. She collaborates closely with Tampere University's MET faculty and has secured funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Recent work emphasizes light-controllable systems for biomedical applications, such as cell alignment platforms and neural axon guidance in microfluidic devices.

Publications highlight innovations in azobenzene materials, including optical control of bio-interfaces, light-induced calcium signaling, and surface patterning. Her contributions bridge materials science with cell biology, aiming to develop dynamic tools for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.