Meet our 鈥淏ernalite鈥 Dr Maryam Karimijafari, a Post Doctoral researcher in materials science, pharmaceutical processing and sustainable manufacturing.
Maryam鈥檚 current research funded by renowned Research Ireland is centered on the development and design of recyclable bio-based piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting from ambient vibrations. By leveraging principles from pharmaceutical manufacturing technology, Maryam is working to tailor the material properties to enable their use in energy generation applications.
Traditional piezoelectric materials often rely on toxic, non-biodegradable components, which present significant environmental concerns. The primary goal of this project is to create sustainable alternatives materials that are fully recyclable, biodegradable, and non-toxic suitable for powering self-sustaining devices.
These bio-piezoelectric materials have broad potential applications, including in wearable electronics, smart sensors, and even medical implants. The long-term vision is to enable electricity generation from everyday mechanical movements, offering a clean and sustainable energy solution.
When asked to explain her research to the public, she states 鈥淚magine the energy from your footsteps, or the vibration from a passing car can be converted into electricity and used to power the small devices. That's the aim of my research using the manufacturing principles in pharmaceutical technologies. We are trying to tailor the properties of some materials that can generate clean energy even from simple everyday movements. What makes my work unique is that we are using bio-based, non-toxic and fully recyclable materials to generate electricity. As you know, the traditional power sources are normally relied on fossil fuels or non-renewable materials that we are trying to tackle this challenge and use some materials that not only they can increase the efficiency of generating clean energy, but also, they can be environmentally friendly.鈥
Why is this important?
One of the biggest challenges we face today is finding cleaner, greener ways to produce energy, as traditional sources like fossil fuels harm the environment. Maryam鈥檚 research is on engineering new materials that can turn everyday movements such as walking or the vibration from cars into electricity. These materials are safe, recyclable, and help reduce pollution and electronic waste.
Dr Karimijafari has achieved several notable milestones throughout her career, including a Master鈥檚 degree under the supervision of Prof. Tofail Syed, funded by Enterprise Ireland in collaboration with automotive industry leader BorgWarner, and a PhD supported by the prestigious SFI-NSF US-Ireland Partnership under the supervision of Bernal member Prof. Gavin Walker and Dr. Denise Croker. Her research excellence was recognised with the SSPC Graduate of the Year award (2021) and the Best Postdoctoral Researcher of the Year award at Bernal Research Day (2024). Passionate about science communication, Dr Karimijafari won the first place in the Thesis in Three competition and contributed to recognized RT脡 Brainstorm. Most recently, she secured HORIZON-MSCA-Staff Exchanges 2025 funding in partnership with PMTC, supporting international collaboration with five countries across the globe in a 鈧772,800 research initiative running from 2025 to 2029.
Currently working with Bernal member Professor Emmet O鈥橰eilly, Maryam expressed her appreciation for his mentorship: 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly grateful to be mentored by Professor Emmet O鈥橰eilly. His expertise in pharmaceutical and materials science has been instrumental in shaping my research and advancing my career.鈥
"Bernal institute offers a vibrant, dynamic environment with world-class infrastructure. The cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art instruments available here provide an exceptional foundation for conducting high-quality research," said Maryam, reflecting on her experience at Bernal. Maryam continued by expressing her sincere gratitude to Research Ireland for funding her two-year postdoctoral fellowship, acknowledging their vital support and commitment to advancing research: 鈥淚 deeply appreciate their support and the opportunities they create for researchers, especially for my project, which contributes to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable environment.鈥
Best of luck in all your work Maryam, we are proud to call you a #Bernalite, from #BernalNeighbourhood.