Krassimir Velikov

Dr. Krassimir Velikov holds an Adjunct Associate Professor position at North Carolina State University's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the College of Engineering. He also maintains a part-time academic role at Utrecht University's Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics department since 2009. Additionally, he serves as a Team Leader and Science Leader in Colloidal Dispersions and Nanoscale Structuring at Unilever R&D in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, and leads the 'Molecular Structure of Food' program at NanoNextNL.

Krassimir Velikov's educational background includes:

• Bachelor's in Chemistry from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria
• M.Sc. in Chemical Physics and Theoretical Chemistry (1994) from University of Sofia
• Second M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (1997) from University of Sofia
• Ph.D. (2002) completed under Prof. Alfons van Blaaderen at both FOM AMOLF (Amsterdam) and Utrecht University's Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics department, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Utrecht University.

His research interests span soft condensed matter, colloidal dispersions, and nanoscale structuring. He investigates colloidal self-assembly and interface science in dispersions (e.g., suspensions, foams, emulsions), and applies these principles to food systems to enhance stability, texture, taste, and bioavailability of bioactives. He also studies the physical chemistry of digestion and delivery mechanisms for functional ingredients. Strategic themes in his work include Earth and Sustainability, Foundations of Complex Systems, and Life Sciences.

Velikov's professional roles extend beyond academia: he leads Unilever’s R&D teams and manages international projects and intellectual property strategies. His program directorship at NanoNextNL focuses on food-related molecular structure research, fostering academic-industrial collaboration.

He is affiliated with the Leonard S. Ornstein Laboratory at Utrecht University and contributes to the Soft Condensed Matter Group. His work locations include Unilever’s R&D facilities in Vlaardingen and research spaces in Utrecht and Amsterdam.