In conversation with Jovana Milić
Jovana shares insights on smart energy materials, collaboration, and innovation in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Jovana V. Mili膰
In this interview, Nanoscale Horizons associate editor Jovana Mili膰 shares insights into her research in smart energy materials, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the conceptual advances driving innovation in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Can you tell us a little about your background and the path that led you to your current research?
I have been an associate professor at the University of Turku in Finland since September 2024, where I lead the smart energy materials team. Our research focuses on developing hybrid supramolecular materials that respond to external stimuli and adapt to operating conditions in emerging energy technologies, such as solar cells and neuromorphic systems.
Previously, I was an assistant professor at the Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Fribourg as a Swiss National Science Foundation PRIMA Fellow, and a postdoctoral scientist at the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces at EPFL. I obtained my Dr. Sc. degree at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences at ETH Zurich.
I am a chemist by training who gradually transitioned from organic and supramolecular chemistry into materials science, pursuing interdisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry, physics, materials science, and device engineering to develop smart and sustainable technologies.
One of the most important pieces of advice I received early in my academic journey was to follow my intuition and define my own direction.
Looking back at the early stages of your career, were there any challenges or pivotal moments that shaped your research direction?
One challenge I faced early in my postdoctoral research was transitioning between disciplines - a move some advisors and peers initially discouraged. I was nevertheless motivated by a strong interest in translating bioinspired concepts from supramolecular chemistry into energy conversion in photovoltaics. This perspective eventually helped introduce new ideas into the field and had an enduring impact on my research direction.
I was fortunate to receive support from mentors and collaborators along the way, which enabled me to pursue this path. One of the most important pieces of advice I received early in my academic journey was to follow my intuition and define my own direction, something that has made a lasting difference both professionally and personally.
Collaboration appears to play an important role in your work. How has working with researchers across different fields influenced your career?
As a scientist interested in interdisciplinary research, I have collaborated extensively throughout my academic career, working with more than 50 research teams across chemistry, physics and engineering since 2014. These experiences strengthened my belief in the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration for addressing complex challenges and stimulating innovation.
For example, some of these collaborations led us to explore the multifunctionality of hybrid materials (as discussed in a for Journal of Materials Chemistry C in 2021) and demonstrate the potential of supramolecularly engineered hybrid mixed-dimensional perovskites in solar cells that can also act as resistive switching memories, or memristors, for brain-inspired computing. This work was reported in and in 2024.
We later expanded this concept to more sustainable lead-free materials that could function as 鈥渟elf-powered鈥� neuromorphic systems, recently reported in in 2026.
As an associate editor for Nanoscale Horizons, what qualities do you look for in a manuscript?
I particularly appreciate Nanoscale Horizons papers for their focus on conceptual breakthroughs or exceptional advancements in performance, rather than incremental improvements in nanoscience and nanotechnology. This emphasis is a defining feature of the journal and helps these articles stand out.
From an editorial perspective, what is one thing authors could improve when submitting their work?
One common mistake I see is that authors do not clearly communicate the broader relevance or conceptual advance of their work. Even for very fundamental research, placing the study in the context of previous work and explaining its wider significance helps readers and editors better assess its impact.
What approaches have helped you create meaningful collaborations and lasting scientific partnerships?
I have had the privilege of collaborating extensively across research fields, which has helped me build a strong research network. One of the most important strategies has been communicating science across disciplines with openness to different mindsets and research approaches. This not only helps establish collaborations but also reveals synergies that can inspire creativity and innovation.
Remaining humble while openly sharing enthusiasm, even in the early stages of a project, can help propel collective research advancements beyond any individual effort.
I have also found it valuable to engage beyond the scientific community, including at the interface of science, policy and diplomacy. These interactions broaden perspectives and highlight the wider ecosystem in which researchers operate.
What have you learned about communicating scientific ideas effectively, both in publications and beyond academia?
I do not consider myself an exceptional science communicator, but I am motivated to continuously learn and improve. Openness to feedback and a willingness to grow, as well as interactions with science communicators, have helped me develop this skill over time.
In both publications and interactions with broader audiences, I have learned that making science accessible makes a real difference. Storytelling and visual communication can be particularly powerful.
Early in my career, I underestimated the impact of storytelling and hesitated to use artistic representations, even though I enjoy art myself, from painting to creating scientific illustrations and videos. Over time, I realised how much these approaches can improve understanding and help us communicate and refine complex ideas.
I am convinced that interdisciplinarity is essential for addressing some of the most pressing societal challenges.
What developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology are you finding particularly interesting at the moment?
There are several trends in nanoscience and technology that I find fascinating, and one particularly exciting area is brain-inspired or neuromorphic technologies, which could enable more powerful yet energy-efficient computing systems. These developments can enable us to address pressing societal issues associated with energy-intensive computing in the era of AI and IoT, while stimulating creative advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology, considering a range of emerging materials and device-engineering solutions.
It has been encouraging to see the 萝莉社 recognise this emerging trend through in recent years, and I hope this effort to provide a platform for neuromorphics will continue in the future.
How do you think interactions between different scientific disciplines are shaping the future of nanoscience?
I am convinced that interdisciplinarity is essential for addressing some of the most pressing societal challenges. With that mindset, I see interdisciplinary research reshaping nanoscience over the next decade, from interactions between neuroscience and computation to exploiting quantum phenomena and using AI tools to accelerate materials discovery for sustainable energy technologies and personalised medicine.
Scientific and technological developments are evolving so rapidly that making predictions is increasingly difficult, yet this also makes the future more exciting. I hope these cross-disciplinary developments inspire the nanoscience community to pursue ambitious visions for future research and technological breakthroughs.
Is there a scientific challenge you would particularly like to see solved during your lifetime?
One scientific challenge I would particularly like to see solved is the development of reliable self-powered neuromorphic chips that mimic the brain鈥檚 efficiency and operate autonomously without external energy sources. Achieving this could fundamentally change how we use and scale AI technologies, making global digitalisation more sustainable and accessible.
Are there any common misconceptions about your research area that you would like to address?
In developing smart and sustainable materials for energy technologies, we often work with hybrid halide perovskites, ionic semiconductors with exceptional optoelectronic properties that are well-suited to modern optoelectronics and energy-harvesting applications.
A common misconception is that research in this area focuses mainly on achieving high device efficiencies or solving stability challenges. While these are important goals, they do not fully capture the broader potential of these materials.
Hybrid halide perovskites are also fascinating as soft, dynamic mixed conductors that could serve as frameworks for a new generation of smart materials and nanotechnologies, extending far beyond immediate device applications while stimulating our imagination across disciplines.
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