Dr. Lydia Sosa Vargas is a CNRS researcher at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Originally from Mexico, she obtained her PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK. In 2012, she began her postdoctoral work in Japan at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST-Kansai), developing new liquid crystalline materials for photovoltaic applications. In 2015, she joined the Polymer Chemistry lab at the Paris Institute for Molecular Chemistry (IPCM) at Sorbonne Université as a postdoc before being recruited as a researcher for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in 2017.
Lydia’s expertise encompasses synthetic organic chemistry, organic dyes and semiconducting liquid crystalline materials, organic electronics and the study of molecular and nanoscale self-assembling materials for photonic applications. Her current challenge is to ‘grow’ purposefully-designed, functional, 2D and 3D arrays on graphene, metallic or insulating substrates in order to probe and study the electronic and photonic processes that take place within these systems at the nanoscale.
Throughout her career Lydia has demonstrated a passion for science communication. During her PhD studies she participated in various outreach activities with the Royal Society of Chemistry. At Sorbonne University, she now manages a Polymers workshop at the yearly ‘Fête de la Science’ event; talking to the public about these materials, raising awareness about plastic consumption & recycling and showcasing current research being developed in her lab. Lydia also likes to communicate her science-life experiences through doodles, sharing them through social media during the ‘Inktober Challenge’.
Lydia is also an enthusiastic advocate for Women in Science, giving public lectures at schools in Mexico to promote the role of women in research, and motivate young women and girls to pursue a career in STEM fields.
