Invitation to EAIFR Webinar Colloquium by Prof. Wole Soboyejo on "New Frontiers for Physics in Africa: From Solar Cells and Light Emitting Devices to Medical Physics", on Thursday 16 July at 16:00 hrs.

[ICTP/director]

Dear All,

EAIFR, ICTP's partner Institute in Rwanda, is organizing a Webinar 
Colloquium by Prof. Wole Soboyejo on "New Frontiers for Physics in 
Africa: From Solar Cells and Light Emitting Devices to Medical Physics", 
on Thursday 16 July at 16:00 hrs.

Preregistration is required at the following address:

https:/ /zoom.us/webinar/register/W N_y5Uch__SRw6vdZxoT1eSng 
<https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y5Uch__SRw6vdZxoT1eSng>

The talk also will be livestreamed on ICTP's YouTube channel. 
<http://video.ictp.it/livestream>

Biosketch: Wole Soboyejo is a materials scientist whose research focuses 
on the mechanical properties of materials, biomaterials, the use of 
materials for the detection and treatment of diseases, and the use of 
materials science to promote global development. He has a PhD from 
Cambridge University, and was a professor at Princeton University until 
2016. He has published more than 400 papers, and served as President and 
Provost of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in 
Abuja, Nigeria. Soboyejo was the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering 
and Professor of Engineering Leadership at the Worcester Polytechnic 
Institute (WPI), USA and is currently the Provost and Senior Vice 
President at WPI. He was member of the ICTP Scientific Council for many 
years.

Abstract: Soboyejo will present some new frontiers for physics in 
Africa, with a focus on African challenges in health, energy and the 
environment. In the first part of the talk, he will explore the 
development of the next generation of low cost perovskite solar cells 
and light emitting devices that are produced using a pressure-assisted 
fabrication technique that results in solar cells with photoconversion 
efficiencies of about 23.5% (close to the world record for perovskite 
solar cells). The high efficiencies of these solar cells are explained 
by considering the combined effects of charge transport across layers 
and interfaces in these devices. The implications of the results are 
then discussed for the development of the next generation of solar cells 
and light emitting devices.

In the second part of his talk, Soboyejo will explore the development of 
the next generation of nanotechnology and robotics for the detection and 
treatment of disease. These include nanoparticles and targeted drugs for 
the detection and treatment of cancer, and medical robotics for the 
detection of covid-19.  He will use specific examples to illustrate the 
opportunities for African physicists to be part of the development of 
magnetic/gold nanoparticles and biomedical devices for the detection and 
treatment of breast, prostate and cervical cancer.

The talk will conclude with an overview of the role that physicists can 
play in the development of robotically-guided probes for the detection 
of covid-19.

For information, check the following link: 
https://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/media-centre/news/2020/7/soboyejo-colloquium.aspx

We look forward to seeing you on-line.

Best regards,

Director's Office, ICTP