John Christopher Plummer

John Christopher Plummer is a Senior Scientist at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) within the Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Materials (LMOM) under the School of Engineering (STI). He has over 20 years of expertise in materials science and physics, focusing on polymer composites, nanocomposites, and advanced characterization techniques like TEM, HREM, and AFM. His research emphasizes process-structure-property relationships in polymers, bio-based materials, and sustainable composites.

Education & Career:

• PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge (1989), focusing on superconductivity
• Postdoctoral roles at University of Michigan (1995-1996) and University of Cambridge (1986-1989)
• Joined EPFL in 1989 as Collaborateur Scientifique/Chargé de Cours (Lecturer) and became Privat Docent in 1998

Research Focus: Polymer morphology, microdeformation analysis, and sustainable materials. Key contributions include studies on polystyrene/laponite nanocomposites, hybrid glass-reinforced polymers, and TiO₂ coatings for photovoltaics.

Teaching: Courses on polymer structures, processing, and materials science at EPFL. Supervised multiple PhD students including Azra Charly David, Pascal Clausen, and Claire Delabarde.

Awards: Prix R&R Haenny (2007), DuPont Research Award (2003), and recognition from the British Polymer Group (1989).

Publications: Over 140 peer-reviewed articles, including seminal works on nanocomposite mechanics and advanced characterization methods. Authored a textbook on polymer materials and holds patents in polymer processing.

Labs & Teams: Leads the LMOM lab and collaborates with the LTC and LP laboratories at EPFL. Active in interdisciplinary projects combining materials science with renewable energy and microengineering applications.