Anna Fontcuberta i Morral

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral is a physicist and current President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) since January 2025. Previously, she served as a full Professor at EPFL after being appointed Associate Professor in 2014 and completing her tenure-track progression. An alumna of Technical University of Munich (TUM), she built her research career across international institutions including École Polytechnique near Paris and CalTech.

Her academic journey includes:

• Doctoral studies at École Polytechnique (Paris)
• Postdoctoral research at California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
• Habilitation at TUM's Walter Schottky Institute (2008)
• Group leader position at TUM starting at age 30

Fontcuberta i Morral's research focuses on advanced materials systems, particularly filamentary crystals—ultra-thin crystalline structures with novel electronic properties. She champions interdisciplinary collaboration in critical fields including artificial intelligence, medical technology, sustainability, and energy transition. Her leadership emphasizes societal impact through knowledge transfer and technological innovation, reflected in EPFL's creation of a Vice-Presidency for Innovation and Impact.

Key honors include:

• Marie Curie Excellence Grant
• ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council
• TUM Ambassador title (2013), awarded to internationally outstanding scientists

As an academic leader, she maintains active research engagement by dedicating two half-days weekly to doctoral student collaboration. She advocates for balanced evaluation criteria in academic promotions, requiring excellence in at least two of three domains: research, teaching, and societal impact. Her institutional leadership extends to advancing gender diversity, noting EPFL's growth from double-digit female professor representation in 2008 to 91 of 370 professors today.

Fontcuberta i Morral directs EPFL's strategic focus on interdisciplinary seed funds and international scientific cooperation, expressing concern about U.S. research funding cuts' global consequences. She emphasizes responsible AI integration in scientific training and maintains strong institutional ties through the EuroTech University Alliance and EuroTeQ Campus initiatives with TUM.