Riina Aav

Riina Aav is a Tenured Full Professor and Research Leader of the CoE in Circular Economy at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), School of Science. She holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from TalTech (2005) and has been a faculty member since 2007. Her research focuses on asymmetric induction, supramolecular chemistry, and NMR methods in organic chemistry, with emphasis on chiral hemicucurbiturils and mechanochemical synthesis. She leads over 15 active projects, including the CoE in Circular Economy for Strategic Mineral and Carbon Resources (€7M funding). Aav has authored 155+ publications and received numerous awards, including Estonia's Order of the White Star (2024) and TalTech's Researcher of the Year (2024). She teaches at all academic levels and serves on editorial and advisory boards for journals such as Supramolecular Chemistry and APL Materials.

• Education: Ph.D. in Natural and Exact Sciences (2005), M.Sc. in Natural Sciences (1998), Engineer in Food Technology (1996), all from TalTech.
• Research: Specializes in chiral molecular containers, mechanochemistry, and green synthesis. Key areas include supramolecular sensors, asymmetric catalysis, and NMR applications.
• Awards: Over 15 accolades, including national and institutional recognitions for research and teaching excellence.
• Administration: Vice-Dean for R&D (2020–present), CoE leader, and member of EU COST actions on mechanochemistry.

Her work bridges fundamental and applied chemistry, with industrial patents on chimeric hemicucurbiturils and mechanochemical processes. She has supervised 1 PhD student and actively participates in international conferences and grant panels.