Stefano Sacanna

Stefano Sacanna is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at New York University, affiliated with the Arts & Science School. His research focuses on colloidal chemistry, material science, and self-assembly, with a particular emphasis on crystallization pathways, active matter, and programmable colloids. He holds a Ph.D. in Physical and Colloid Chemistry from Utrecht University (Netherlands) and an M.Sc. in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna (Italy).

Key research areas include the synthesis and assembly of anisotropic colloids, entropy-driven self-assembly of colloidal diamond structures, and the study of active matter systems. His work leverages microgravity environments (e.g., NASA's ACE project) and advanced techniques like light-triggered inflation and dielectrophoretic assembly. Notable contributions include the development of colloidal metallurgy and the discovery of non-classical crystallization mechanisms.

He is a Section Editor for Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science and a member of NASA's ACE Science Team. In 2020, he received the Early Career Award for Soft Matter Research. His lab, the Sacanna Lab, explores cutting-edge topics such as colloidal organosilica spheres, self-inflating microcapsules, and the interplay between particle shape and phase behavior.

Publications span prestigious journals like Nature Materials and Soft Matter, with recent work addressing topics like odd viscosity in chiral fluids, light-driven assembly, and colloidal polymer dynamics. His research bridges physics, chemistry, and biology, with applications in materials design, nanotechnology, and active matter systems.