Andrea Di Falco

Andrea Di Falco serves as Professor and Director of Impact at the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews. He leads the Centre for Biophotonics and maintains an active research group focused on cutting-edge photonics research. His institutional affiliations include editorial work for Photonics and Nanostructures: Fundamentals and Applications journal since 2013.

• University of St Andrews - School of Physics and Astronomy (Current)
• Centre for Biophotonics (Current)
• Photonics and Nanostructures: Fundamentals and Applications (Editor since 2013)

Professor Di Falco's research spans multiple photonics domains with particular expertise in nano-photonics, metamaterials, plasmonics, and biophotonics. His work bridges fundamental optical physics with practical applications, especially in metasurface technology and flexible photonics. The research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between physics, materials science, and biomedical applications, contributing to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.

His recent publication portfolio shows a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated metasurface applications, with growing integration of machine learning techniques for photonic design. The research spans fundamental optical physics, novel material development, and practical biomedical applications, demonstrating remarkable breadth while maintaining technical depth in photonics.

• EPSRC Fellowship (2010) for flexible metamaterials and plasmonics research
• ERC Consolidator Grant (2019) for biophotonic applications of optically trapped photonic membranes

Professor Di Falco actively supervises postgraduate research students and has led numerous significant research projects, including the current Holographic Integrated Photonic Platform project (2024-2025). His research program has secured substantial funding from EPSRC, European Research Council, and Medical Research Council, demonstrating strong recognition of his work's significance and potential impact. His group maintains the SynthOpt research website as a hub for their collaborative work.

The SynthOpt research group operates within the School of Physics and Astronomy at St Andrews, maintaining strong connections with both theoretical and experimental photonics researchers. The team focuses on developing novel photonic structures with applications ranging from fundamental optics to biomedical sensing and human-computer interaction technologies.