Federico Pellarin

Federico Pellarin
Name	Federico Pellarin
Birth date	1965
Birth place	Genoa, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Academic, Engineer, Researcher
Known for	Nanotechnology, Microelectromechanical Systems, Materials Science

Federico Pellarin is an Italian engineer and academic known for contributions to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanotechnology, and materials science. He has held faculty positions and research appointments in European and international institutions, collaborating with laboratories, companies, and consortia across Italy, France, Germany, and the United States. His work spans experimental device fabrication, surface science, sensor technologies, and interdisciplinary projects linking engineering, physics, and materials chemistry.

Early life and education

Pellarin was born in Genoa and completed his early studies in Liguria before moving to universities for higher education. He obtained degrees in engineering and physics at institutions that include the University of Genoa, the Politecnico di Milano, and research training at laboratories associated with the National Research Council (Italy), the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and the École Polytechnique. His doctoral and postdoctoral training involved collaborations with groups at the Max Planck Society, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and research centers affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology.

Academic and professional career

Pellarin’s early academic appointments included junior faculty and research scientist roles in departments of electrical engineering, materials science, and applied physics at universities and technical institutes across Europe. He served as a principal investigator in laboratory facilities connected to the Istituto Nanoscienze, the Fondazione Bruno Kessler, and the CNR network. Pellarin joined collaborative projects funded by the European Commission framework programmes and participated in consortia including the Horizon 2020 initiatives, working with partners such as the Fraunhofer Society, the National Institute for Materials Science (Japan), and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Throughout his career he held visiting scholar appointments at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, and research stints at corporate labs including STMicroelectronics and Intel Corporation. He taught courses and supervised theses in programs linked to the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and the Politecnico di Torino, contributing to doctoral schools, summer schools, and industry-academia training schemes.

Research contributions and notable works

Pellarin’s research focuses on MEMS, nanoscale fabrication, thin films, surface functionalization, and sensor integration. He published on microcantilever sensors, nanoimprint lithography, surface acoustic wave devices, and silicon carbide microstructures, collaborating with authors from the University of Cambridge, École Normale Supérieure, ETH Zurich, and the University of California, Berkeley. His experimental work often integrated characterization techniques from facilities such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, and transmission electron microscopy centers linked to the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems.

Notable projects include development of resonant microstructures for biochemical sensing, fabrication methods for high-aspect-ratio microfeatures in partnership with the Paul Scherrer Institute, and hybrid material platforms combining polymers from the CNR Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali with inorganic nanostructures studied at the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience. He co-led interdisciplinary teams addressing applications in environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and industrial process control, collaborating with the World Health Organization-connected programs and technology transfer offices of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Awards and honors

Pellarin received recognition from national and international bodies for his contributions to microsystems and nanotechnology. Honors include prizes from the Italian Chemical Society, awards granted by the European Materials Research Society, and fellowships from agencies such as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. He has been named to advisory panels for the European Research Council review committees, served on program committees for conferences like the International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems and NanoTech, and been elected to boards of professional societies including the IEEE technical councils and the Società Italiana di Fisica.

Personal life

Pellarin maintains active collaborations across academic, public sector, and industrial partners, often participating in outreach and mentoring through networks such as the European Young Researchers Association and national doctoral consortia. Outside his research he engages with cultural institutions in Genoa, supports local initiatives connected to the Palazzo Ducale cultural programs, and participates in public lectures at venues like the Teatro Carlo Felice. He speaks Italian, English, and French and has been involved in exchange programs with institutions in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States.

Selected publications

- Pellarin F., et al., "Microcantilever-based biosensors for label-free detection," Journal article with coauthors from the University of Cambridge and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, published in an international sensor journal. - Pellarin F., et al., "Nanofabrication of high-aspect-ratio structures by deep reactive ion etching," collaborative paper involving the Paul Scherrer Institute and STMicroelectronics. - Pellarin F., et al., "Hybrid polymer-inorganic platforms for flexible sensor arrays," multidisciplinary article coauthored with researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and the CNR. - Pellarin F., et al., "Surface acoustic wave devices for environmental monitoring," proceedings paper from the International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems with contributors from ETH Zurich. - Pellarin F., et al., "Nanoimprint lithography approaches to large-area patterning," review article coauthored with teams from the Max Planck Society and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Category:Italian engineers Category:Scientists from Genoa