Dr. Renata Balgley

Dr. Renata Balgley
Dr. Renata Balgley
Israeli Postdoctoral Scholar
2019-2020 Cohort
Caltech
Department of Chemistry 
  • Lewis Research Group
  • Nathan Lewis
  • Lab website

Dr. Balgley’s multidisciplinary studies are highly complex, requiring in-depth knowledge of chemistry, electrochemistry, surface science, and physics. For her PhD from the School of Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science, she worked in functional molecular materials design to address new frontiers in electron transfer reactions at metal-organic interfaces. Her key achievements include the development of unique composite materials for the fabrication of new types of solar cells and charge-storage devices. She is already a co-inventor on a granted patent. In the Department of Chemistry at Caltech, Dr. Balgley will continue her focus on the reactivity of semiconductor surfaces, designing novel approaches for surface functionalization with molecular materials, this time for energy-related applications.

Dr. Balgley plans to collaborate with scientists from academia and industry to incorporate these technologies into real-world applications, with the goal of making a significant contribution to one of the most sought-after goals of science today: developing sustainable, fossil-free pathways to produce fuels and chemicals needed to make the products we use on a daily basis.

Dr. Balgley has been involved in youth education programs, developing hands-on lab projects suitable for the age group and skills of the young participants and mentoring them throughout their projects.