Riina Aav

Riina Aav is a Tenured Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology. Her academic roles include teaching bachelor-level courses (Analytical Chemistry, NMR for Structure Elucidation, Introduction to Circular Economy) and master-level courses (Structure Analysis), and serving on thesis defense committees at all academic levels.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Natural and Exact Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology (2005)
• M.Sc. in Natural Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology (1998)
• Engineer of Food Technology, Tallinn University of Technology (1996)

Research Interests: Her work spans structural, analytical, organic, and supramolecular chemistry, with a focus on asymmetric induction, NMR methods, and chiral macrocycles like hemikukurbiturils. She develops supramolecular analytical techniques and studies features influencing molecular chirality.

Awards & Honors:

• Order of the White Star, 4th Class (2024)
• Researcher of the Year (2024)
• Most Motivating Teacher (2023)
• Multiple Research Paper of the Year awards (2023, 2020, 2019, 2016)
• Fulbright Grant (2008)

Professional Activities: She leads the Circular Economy Core Lab (SOURCES), serves on editorial boards (Supramolecular Chemistry, APL Materials), and participates in expert panels for the Swiss National Science Foundation and Estonian Research Council. She is an active member of the Estonian Chemical Society and has organized international conferences.