This month, we are highlighting the incredible contributions of women advancing science, innovation, and discovery.
Today, we are proud to feature Nadja Tarakina, who is Head of the Innovative Electron Microscopy Department at INM-Leibniz Institute for New Materials and Professor at Saarland University, Germany. In her department, she develops methodologies for nanoscale/atomic-resolution imaging of soft functional materials and their hybrid interfaces using a synergy of materials science and biological electron microscopy approaches, aiming to advance our understanding and guide the design of hybrid materials for energy and biomedical applications.
Nadja obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. During her career she worked in research centres in Belgium, the UK, Sweden and Germany. She obtained her habilitation in Experimental Physics in 2020 from the University of Würzburg, Germany. During the past 8 year she led the Electron Microscopy group at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany, where she applied advanced electron microscopy techniques to study soft functional materials, with a strong focus on in-situ methods.
To her female colleagues:
“Being a scientist is a fascinating but challenging journey—let your curiosity, ideas, and determination guide you. Keep developing yourself, build strong skills in research and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to make a difference.”
