Liesl Folks

Liesl Folks is a Professor at both the Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Arizona. She holds a PhD and MBA in Physics and Business, respectively. Her research focuses on nanotechnology, magnetism, semiconductor policy, and retinal degenerative diseases.

Key roles include presidency of the IEEE Magnetics Society (2013–2014) and service on the National Nanotechnology Initiative review panel (2012). Awards include the AVS Excellence in Leadership Award (2013) and Fellowship in the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI). She has 14 patents and over 50 peer-reviewed papers with 10,000+ citations.

Her work bridges academia and industry, including roles at HGST and IBM Almaden Research Center. Research emphasizes retinal disorders (e.g., RP59, SLOS), cholesterol metabolism, and blast injury effects on vision. Collaborations include developing mouse models and iPSC-based therapies.