Principal Investigator

Ioannis D. Spanopoulos PhD
Assistant Professor
Professional Appointments
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Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida (08/2021 - present)
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Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University (04/2021 – 07/2021)
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University (12/2016 – 03/2021)
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete (12/2015 – 11/2016)
Bio. Ioannis (Yannis) holds a BSc. degree in Chemistry and a MSc. degree in Environmental Chemistry and Technology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the latter under the supervision of Prof. Michael Scoullos. In 2015 he acquired his PhD. degree in Materials Chemistry from the University of Crete, under the supervision of Prof. Pantelis N. Trikalitis working on the development of Metal Organic Frameworks for gas storage and separation applications. After one year as a Post-Doctoral Fellow developing water stable MOFs, in 2016 he joined the research group of Prof. Mercouri G. Kanatzidis at Northwestern University for a second Post-Doctoral appointment. His work at NU focused on the design and synthesis of environmentally friendly and stable perovskite and metal halide materials for optoelectronic applications. He developed the new family of 3D "hollow" perovskites (US Patent 16/623,873), as well as various water stable metal halide materials. He received the 2020 IIN Outstanding Researcher award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the 2022 ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Research award and he holds a teaching certificate (2020-2021) from the SEARLE center at Northwestern University.
Post Doctoral Fellows
Anamika Mishra PhD
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PhD. in Materials Science
CSIR National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, India (2022)
MSc. in Organic Chemistry
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India (2006)
BSc. in Chemistry (Honors)
Burdwan University, West Bengal, India (2004)
I got my Ph.D. from CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, India in the Synthesis and Characterization of hole transport materials for perovskite solar cells. During my Fulbright Doctoral research fellowship at Rice University, Houston, I had the opportunity to develop novel 2D materials for perovskite solar cells and photocatalytic water splitting.
I hold a master's degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Delhi, India, and I have many years of experience working in pharmaceutical industries.
Graduate Students
Ali Azmy

BSc. in Materials Science
University of Science and Technology (UST) at Zewail City (2021)
I am Ali Azmy, and I am from Egypt. I obtained my BSc. degree in Materials Science from UST-Zewail City in Egypt (2021). Part of my former research experience was related to the adsorption of cationic dyes on water stable MOFs. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD. degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Alissa Anderson

BA. in Chemistry,
Minors in Biology and Biomedical Physics
University of South Florida (Spring 2022)
I am currently a PhD student in the Spanopoulos group at the University of South Florida, interested in inorganic synthesis of low-dimensional materials and applied spectroscopy. As an undergraduate, I studied Janus modifications of 2D nanosheets, 2D metals, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), and a variety of synthetic and analytical techniques.
Kamaleldeen Nassar

BSc. in Materials Science
University of Science and Technology (UST) at Zewail City (2021)
My name is Kamal. I am from Egypt. I obtained my BSc. degree in Materials Science from UST-Zewail City in Egypt in 2021. I have always been interested in functional materials and their applications, especially catalysis. I am currently pursuing my PhD. degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Neelam Tariq MSc

MSc. in Chemistry
Lahore University of Management and Sciences (2018)
BSc. (Hons) in Chemistry
Government College University Lahore (2016)
Lahore, Pakistan
I am Neelam Tariq from Pakistan. I got my master's degree from LUMS. My research was focused on designing catalysts for electrochemical reactions. Here at USF, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in the Spanopoulos Group.
Mina Bagherifard Sharabiani MSc

MSc. in Organic Chemistry
Sharif University of Technology (2019)
BSc. in Pure Chemistry
Sharif University of Technology (2017)
Tehran, Iran
I am Mina Bagherifard, and I am from Iran. I got my bachelor’s degree in pure chemistry and my master’s degree in organic chemistry at Sharif University of Technology. I have worked on polymer chemistry, and I have designed smart photo-responsive drug carriers, oil absorbents, and catalysts. I am pursuing my PhD. Degree at USF in the Spanopoulos Group.
Research Interns
Daria M. Konovalova

BSc. in Biomedical Sciences
University of South Florida (Spring 2022)
My name is Daria Konovalova, and I am from Ukraine. I graduated from the University of South Florida in Spring 2022 with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. I am a research intern in Dr. Spanopoulos' group, where we are working on hybrid semiconductors. In the future, I intend to become a medical doctor and continue participating in research for innovative and environmentally friendly materials with multiple applications.
Undergraduate Students

Amanda Reyes
BSc. in Chemistry,
Minor in Linguistics
University of South Florida (Spring 2023)
I am a senior at the University of South Florida pursuing a degree in Chemistry. I have a profound interest in inorganic synthesis and material sciences. After graduation, I hope to continue my studies by attending graduate school.
Georgios Ousta

BSc. in Health Sciences,
University of South Florida (Spring 2024)
Born and raised in Athens, Greece, currently a senior at the University of South Florida with an overall interest in organic chemistry and love for medicine. After I graduate, I am looking to get into the medical program at USF.
Brianna Pecourt

BSc. in Chemistry,
Minor in Linguistics
University of South Florida (Spring 2025)
I am a second year from Ohio studying at the University of South Florida. I am pursuing a degree in Chemistry with a minor in linguistics. Within chemistry, my interests lie in material sciences and physical chemistry. After graduation I plan to attend graduate school to continue doing research.
Sarah Troutt

BSc. in Chemistry,
University of South Florida (Spring 2024)
I am a junior at the University of South Florida studying chemistry. My interests in the field lie in medicinal, analytical, and material chemistry. After graduating, I intend to pursue a PhD and continue research into my desired sub-fields.
High-school Students
Varun Sreedhar

Middleton High School (class of 2024)
Hello, My name is Varun Sreedhar and I am a junior who currently goes to Middleton highschool. I am very interested in the medical field specifically medical research so I can work towards changing the world through innovation. I am trying to gain research experience by working under Prof. Spanopoulos in preparation for college and many jobs that may come after.
Rishab Talwani

Middleton High School (Class of 2024)
I'm Rishab, a junior at Middleton High School with a great interest in all types of chemistry. As a part of this team, I'm looking to play a part in helping the researchers in this group conduct research and learn more about the effort that goes into making new discoveries. I'd like to eventually pursue a physician/researcher role in the medical field later on.

Ayush Dabbirru
Middleton High School (Class of 2024)
Born and raised in Tampa Florida, I am a current high school junior at Middleton High School with a profound interested in organic chemistry and its importance in medicine. I am looking to receive engaging lab experience in preparation for college and am looking to eventually pursue the depths of the medical field.
Suchi Patel

Middleton High School (Class of 2024)
My name is Suchi Patel. I am interested in advancing equitable healthcare frameworks that address the global medical inequity gap. Through rigorous scientific research, I aspire to make contributions in this field in the future as a future physician researcher. Joining the Spanopoulos Group provides me with the remarkable opportunity to delve into the nuances of organic chemistry and apply my skill set under the guidance of experienced mentors!