Analysis
Integrates results from several methods into one answer: the driver that matters and what to do about it.
Postdoctoral Researcher Max-Planck-Institute for Sustainable Materials MPI-SM · Düsseldorf
Ava Karami
Analytical problem solver translating complex data into actionable insights.
9+
years in materials research
since 2017
€5.7M
collaborative project funding
GreenH2Metals + EFFCIS-II
2
national energy consortia
BMBF · BMWK
1
Young Researcher Award
E-MRS 2022
01 Profile
The scientist
in the room.
Physicist by training, translator by habit. Nine years across materials research, industry R&D and two national energy consortia — always at the point where data turns into a decision.
Translation
Explains nanoscale findings to industry partners, master students and conference audiences.
Delivery
Delivers inside two federally funded consortia: milestones, partner meetings, PhD supervision.
01 / 2025 → today
Postdoctoral Researcher
Max-Planck-Institute for Sustainable Materials · MPI-SM · Düsseldorf
Circular metal alloys for efficient and safe hydrogen storage.
- Leads the nanoscale analysis of FeTi hydrogen-storage alloys (APT, SEM, FIB) and turns it into alloy-design recommendations.
- Works directly with institute and industry partners; presents at consortium meetings and international conferences.
- Supervises PhD students.
01 / 2023 → 12 / 2024
Associate Researcher
University of Freiburg · INATECH — Institute for Sustainable Technical Systems · Freiburg
High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin-film solar cells.
- Atom-probe expert for the consortium and for interdisciplinary projects across functional materials.
- Designed and delivered a Master's lecture on CIGS solar cells; supervised graduate students.
- Co-Chair, E-MRS Fall Meeting 2023, Warsaw; several peer-reviewed publications.
10 / 2020 → 12 / 2022
Doctoral Researcher
RWTH Aachen University · I. Physics Institute (IA) · Aachen
Grain-boundary engineering for high-efficiency CIGSe solar cells.
- Linked nanoscale chemistry to device performance by integrating results across characterization methods.
- Organized the EFFCIS-II consortium meeting at RWTH Aachen for academic and industrial partners.
- Young Researcher Award, E-MRS 2022; first-author papers and international talks.
01 / 2019 → 11 / 2019
Research Intern & Master's Thesis
Robert Bosch GmbH · Corporate Research and Advanced Development · Renningen
- Reliability of epoxy resins for automotive electronics: accelerated ageing experiments plus validated finite-element lifetime models.
- Turned experiment and simulation into a reliability assessment — and a Master's thesis.
04 / 2017 → 01 / 2019
Student Research Assistant
Ruhr University Bochum · Institute for Materials · Bochum
- Microstructural, chemical and structural characterization of aluminium alloys and shape-memory polymers.
03 Education
A doctorate in physics,
built on engineering.
RWTH Aachen, magna cum laude, on the nanoscale chemistry of solar-cell grain boundaries. Before that: materials simulation in Bochum, materials engineering in Tehran.
10 / 2020 → 05 / 2026 Magna cum Laude
Doctorate in Physics
I. Physics Institute (IA)
RWTH Aachen University · Aachen
Dissertation Investigating the influence of the variation in the composition of host elements and impurities on the properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ solar cells.
10 / 2016 → 03 / 2020 81 / 100
Master of Science
Materials Science and Simulation
Ruhr University Bochum · Bochum
10 / 2011 → 03 / 2016 73 / 100
Bachelor of Engineering
Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
Iran University of Science and Technology · Tehran
Thesis Mechanical properties of ST52 steel rebars versus polymer-matrix composite rebars.
04 Expertise
Depth where it counts,
range where it matters.
Expert depth in materials analysis and photovoltaics. Range across everything a project needs beyond the lab: partners, students, deadlines, audiences.
Depth
- Materials characterization Expert
Atom probe tomography, SEM, FIB, EBSD — microstructure and chemistry at the nanometre scale.
- Thin-film photovoltaics Expert
CIGSe solar cells: materials, device physics, fabrication and performance.
- Hydrogen storage materials Advanced
Solid-state storage alloys from recyclable resources; degradation and optimisation.
- Semiconductor physics Advanced
Charge transport, defects, interfaces, structure–property relationships.
- Processing & fabrication Advanced
Routes for hydrogen storage materials and thin-film photovoltaic devices.
- Modelling & simulation Advanced
Finite-element lifetime models, numerical ageing estimation, quantitative data integration.
Range
Partners & consortia
GreenH2Metals and EFFCIS-II: research institutes, industry partners, two federal ministries.
Communication
International talks, E-MRS symposium co-chair, Master’s lecture, peer-reviewed papers.
Mentoring
PhD and master students supervised at MPI-SM and the University of Freiburg.
Execution
Own project planning and prioritisation across four institutions and one industrial lab.
Judgement
Multi-method data integration in EFFCIS-II; validated lifetime models at Bosch.
Energy & sustainability
Hydrogen, photovoltaics, circular materials — the domain behind the technology.
Methods & fields
Atom Probe TomographySEM · FIB · EBSDFinite Element ModellingThin-film PhotovoltaicsSolid-state Hydrogen StorageGrain Boundary EngineeringAlloy DesignPolymer Ageing & ReliabilitySemiconductor PhysicsQuantitative Data Analysis
05 Highlights
Recognised
by the field.
An award, a symposium chair, a lecture, a consortium meeting — and the papers behind them.
Young Researcher Award
European Materials Research Society, Spring Meeting 2022 — Symposium K, thin-film chalcogenide photovoltaics.
Co-Chair, E-MRS Fall Meeting 2023
Warsaw — symposium of one of Europe’s largest materials conferences.
Master's lecture, CIGS solar cells
Designed and delivered at the University of Freiburg.
EFFCIS-II consortium meeting
Hosted at RWTH Aachen for academic and industrial partners.
PhD & graduate supervision
At MPI-SM and the University of Freiburg.
Peer-reviewed publications
First-author papers in Solar RRL and Journal of Physics: Energy on alkalis and grain boundaries in thin-film solar cells.
Publications
3 first-author · 1 co-authored- First author
- First author
- First author
- Co-author
Languages
- Persian Native
- English Fluent · C1
- German Upper-Intermediate · B2
06 Contact
Ready for
new challenges.
Open to roles where deep technical expertise, analytical rigour and cross-disciplinary leadership make the difference — in research, industry or strategy.
kontakt@ava-karami.com- Based in
- Aachen, Germany
- Currently
- Postdoctoral Researcher, MPI-SM Düsseldorf