Anna Sandak

Anna is a research group leader in Materials at InnoRenew CoE. She is an associate professor and research associate at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technology at the University of Primorska. Previously, she worked at Trees and Timber Institute of the Italian National Research Council, where she coordinated the Laboratory of Surface Characterization.

She holds a PhD in wood science and an M.Sc. in biology. Anna is a member of the Italian Society for Near Infrared Spectroscopy, International Committee for Near Infrared Spectroscopy, the International Research Group on Wood Protection, and the International Society for Plant Spectroscopy. In 2012 she was appointed IUFRO Officeholder, Deputy of Division 5.03.05 – Biological Resistance of Wood. In 2023, she was nominated by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and joined AcademiaNET. She also actively contributes to several COST actions, including FP1006, FP1101, FP1303, FP1407, FP1405, TU1403, CA 15216, CA16226 and CA19145.

In 2022, Anna was awarded the ERC Consolidator Grant for the project ARCHI-SKIN (101044468-ERC-2021-COG) to develop the novel concept of a bioactive living coating system that pushes the boundaries of traditional materials towards the development of engineered living materials. Anna analyses the multiscale relationships and performance of modified and functionalised biobased materials and iapplies them as new architectural elements. She is passionate about finding biomimetic solutions for the design of new materials and promoting knowledge-based use of bio-inspired materials in modern sustainable buildings.