2027 Keynote Speakers
Polymeric Mixed Conductors for Bioelectronic Sensors
Organic mixed ionic and electronic charge conductors offer a unique toolbox for establishing electrical communication with biological systems. In this talk, I will introduce this rising class of materials for bioelectronic interfacing and explain how their multifunctionality can be harnessed to develop next-generation conformable bioelectronic sensors operating at aqueous electrolyte and tissue interfaces. I will highlight one application where organic electrochemical transistors that rely on these soft conductors are used to detect biochemical molecules from sweat while recording and analyzing electrophysiology signals. Drawing from our experience with patient samples, I will address potential shortcomings of proof-of-concept biosensor platforms and explore strategies for overcoming these challenges.
Prof Sahika Inal
Associate Professor of Bioengineering, FRSC
Division of Biomedical Sciences
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Sahika Inal is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, with affiliated appointments in Electrical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Since 2016, she has led the Organic Bioelectronics Lab, where her group develops organic mixed ionic–electronic materials and bioelectronic devices for biosensing, biosignal recording, stimulation, and neuromorphic applications. Trained as a polymer scientist and engineer, Inal earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from the University of Potsdam, Germany, and completed postdoctoral research in microelectronics for bioelectronic applications in France. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and has received several international honors, including the 2026 Humboldt Professorship, the ACS Kavli Lectureship Award, the Beilby Medal and Prize, and the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship. She has authored more than 150 publications, which have received approximately 20,000 citations.
Thin Film encapsulation of OLED displays, from a challenge to make flexible displays to an opportunity to make large area OLED displays without using a shadow mask
Dr Robert Visser
VP of Engineering Technology in the CTO Office
Applied Materials, Inc.
Robert J. Visser, VP of Engineering Technology in the CTO office at Applied Materials, Inc., spearheads business and engineering ventures in emerging markets such as advanced displays, packaging technology, and photonic components for augmented reality, flat optics, and quantum computing. With four decades of expertise, he has revolutionized flat panel display manufacturing and made significant breakthroughs in photolithography, plasma physics, and organic electronics. He currently leads the Quantum Technology activities at Applied Materials, leveraging the most advanced semiconductor technology to improve customers’ device quality for both quantum computing, sensing, and communications. In 2020, Dr. Visser was recognized by the Society for Information Display with the Fellows Award for his pioneering work in thin film encapsulation of organic light-emitting diode and flexible displays. His leadership extends to an advisory role in the field of chemistry at Applied Material’s Center of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He holds master’s and PhD degrees in theoretical and physical organic chemistry from Leiden University, The Netherlands. His impactful career encompasses 128 granted patents across multiple disciplines and 78 journal and conference publications.
Further keynote speaker to be announced soon.