Invited Speakers

Professor of Engineering Tribology and Director of the Institute of Functional Surfaces at the University of Leeds in the UK. His research focuses on developing experimental and analytical tools for understanding the chemical and physical processes at tribological interfaces and their effect on friction and wear performance. He has a particular interest in developing in-situ characterization of tribological interfaces using advanced analytical techniques with applications in transport industry, energy systems and manufacturing.

José Gomes received his engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Coimbra, Portugal in 1984. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minho in 1997.

Currently is Associate Professor with Habilitation of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the School of Engineering of the University of Minho, and full member of CMEMS (Center for Microelectromechanical Systems).

Research areas: friction and wear of engineering materials, with particular emphasis in the field of biotribology.

Maria-Isabel De Barros Bouchet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Technology of Materials and Surfaces in the Ecole Centrale de Lyon. Since 2002, her research acDvity in the Laboratory of Tribology and System Dynamics (LTDS) has primarily focused on the understanding the material transformaDons at tribological interfaces, which are essenDal for controlling fricDon and wear performance. These transformaDons are complex and influenced by various factors, including chemical environmental condiDons, surface reacDvity, mechanical properDes, and morphological changes under shear stress.
Before assuming her chair, she has completed her PhD on the PACVD deposiDon and characterizaDon of diamond coaDngs for mechanical applicaDons. Her technological interests lie in the development and applicaDon of novel carbon materials and molecular 2D compounds for tribological applicaDons. Fundamentally, she seeks to understand the role of structure and surface chemistry in the reacDvity with lubricant addiDve molecules used in lubricants and fuels. Her ongoing research focuses on green lubricaDon, specially developing medicinal compounds of purely natural origin as a new class of eco-friendly lubricant addiDves to enhance water-based lubricaDon.
Currently, she is co-leader of "Tribology-Physical-Chemistry, Interface Dynamics (TPCDI)" research team of the LTDS, with a staff of around 70 people since 01/2020. She is head of doctoral training at Ecole Centrale de Lyon. She has published more than 80 arDcles, which have garnered over 3600 citaDons, and has filed 6 patents in collaboraDon with industrial groups over the past 6 years.
Resume of Research Production and Awards
- Laureate of the Jacob Wallenberg FoundaDon Prize in 2025 for her contribuDon to the field of materials science, parDcularly in Tribology.
- Co-editor of the book, "Advanced AnalyDcal Methods in Tribology", Part of the Microtechnology and MEMS book series (MEMS), Springer 2018, h]ps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99897-8.
- 5 book chapters in Tribology field.
- More than 80 publicaDons resulDng in over 3600 citaDons (h-index of 35).
- More than 50 internaDonal conferences, including more than 25 invited lectures, 4 Keynotes and one Plenary.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Kalin has established himself as an outstanding scientist in the field of wear and friction mechanisms, boundary lubrication and experimental contact mechanics. His research has led to numerous new insights and discoveries, resulting in more than 220 peer review publications and 80 invited lectures worldwide, being a top 1 % cited in the field of mechanical engineering and transport. He has received several awards: the prestigious ASME Burt L. Newkirk Award, Fellow of STLE, and the highest Slovenian state scientific award Zois Award to mention a few. He is Editor-in-chief of journal Lubrication Science, a member of the Slovenian Academy of Engineering Sciences, and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He acts as a deputy President of International Tribology Council and member of Board of Directors of STLE. He served for 4 years as Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Kalin has led 55 large (3-year) projects, mostly international, and >150 industrial projects, including several global lubricant, coating and automotive corporations. He has also coordinated a unique joint Master program in tribology TRIBOS, a joint PhD program for green tribology GreenTRIBOS and a Post-doc program in green mobility Mobility-GT. His current research focuses on green tribology concepts for energy transition and engineering sustainability as well as fundamental mechanisms of real contact area formation and its effect on friction mechanisms.

At division of Machine Element at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, Nazanin Emami lead the research activities on development and processing multi-scale and multi-functional polymer composites, for loadbearing applications, such as renewable energy sector, automotive, sport and medical devices. Nazanin´s research has specifically focus on development of novel self-lubricating and super-hydrophobic polymeric composites. Nazanin has a Phd within Polymeric Composite Materials. She is life-time member of Swedish Royal Academy of Science.

Stefano Mischler obtained the diploma in materials science in 1983 at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETHZ in Zurich. He accomplished his PhD thesis in the field of surface analysis and corrosion at the Materials department of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology EPFL in Lausanne in 1988. In the years 1989-1990 he held a postdoctoral position at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Establishment in Harwell (Oxfordshire) where he developed novel quantification procedures for Auger Electron Spectroscopy and high lateral resolution surface analytical methods for fiber reinforced ceramics. In 1991 he joined the newly created Tribology group at the Laboratory for Metallurgical Chemistry of the EPFL where he developed research activities in the field of wear-corrosion interactions (tribocorrosion) and of tribological coatings. He is currently head of the tribology group and is developing a reserach and training activity devoted to modern aspects of tribology and surface science and technology, including surface chemical effects in tribology, biotribology and biocorrosion, tribology in microfabrication processes and wear protection methods. In 2006 he spent a sabbatical leave of 3 months at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Institute of Biomaterials.