Sohini Kar-Narayan

Sohini Kar-Narayan serves as Professor of Device & Energy Materials at the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. Her research program focuses on developing polymer-based nanomaterials for energy harvesting and sensing applications, with particular emphasis on converting ambient waste energy into usable electrical power.

She received both her MS and PhD degrees from the Indian Institute of Science, specializing in Nanogenerators & Sensors. Her educational background established the foundation for her current work at the intersection of materials science and energy technology.

Professor Kar-Narayan's research spans multiple cutting-edge areas including piezoelectric, ferroelectric, magnetoelectric and thermoelectric nanostructures for energy harvesting. She specializes in polymer-based materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), its copolymers, and odd-numbered Nylons, which offer advantages of flexibility, robustness, and biocompatibility over traditional ceramic piezoelectrics. Her work extends to piezoelectricity in biological systems for mechanobiology applications, flexible printed thermoelectric generators using aerosol jet printing techniques, and advanced scanning probe microscopy for nanoscale characterization of electromechanical properties.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on nanogenerator development, with increasing sophistication from fundamental material characterization to functional device integration. The research trajectory shows progression toward practical applications in wearable electronics, biomedical sensors, and ambient energy harvesting systems.

As leader of the Kar-Narayan Lab and the Device Materials Group, she oversees a multidisciplinary research team comprising postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate/master students working across energy devices, biomedical sensors, additive manufacturing, and advanced scanning probe microscopy.

The Kar-Narayan Lab maintains strong focus on translating fundamental materials research into practical applications, with particular emphasis on scalable fabrication methods and device commercialization potential. Current research directions include developing flexible thermoelectric nanogenerators for wearable electronics and creating 'piezoelectric lab-on-a-chip' tools for mechanobiology research.