Alexander Govorov named IPF Fellow, strengthening OHIO’s international research collaboration in nanoscience

Ohio University Distinguished Professor Alexander O. “Sasha” Govorov, a member of the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI), has been appointed an IPF Fellow at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF) in Germany. The two-year fellowship runs from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2028. 

The fellowship builds on a productive international partnership combining IPF’s expertise in polymer science, nanostructure fabrication and advanced characterization with Govorov’s theoretical and computational research at Ohio University.

“Science is inherently dynamic, we cannot always predict the future or know exactly where a collaboration will lead, which makes new partnerships so exciting,” Govorov said.

That partnership has already produced significant results. Govorov and IPF researchers recently collaborated on a study published in Nature Materials examining how protein molecules can induce and control chirality in plasmonic nanoparticle assemblies. Govorov contributed computational electromagnetic simulations that helped explain and validate the experimentally observed optical effects. 

During the fellowship, the researchers plan to expand their work in chiral nanoscience, including fundamental studies of how chirality emerges, the development of highly sensitive optical approaches for detecting chiral drugs, and the use of biological structures as templates for functional nanomaterials with potential applications in pharmaceuticals and food science.

“Our research strengths are highly complementary,” Govorov said. “By applying our theoretical framework to their experimental data, we can model, interpret and validate subtle physical mechanisms.”

Govorov noted that NQPI has helped foster the collaboration through seed funding, travel support and institutional visibility. The partnership also illustrates how international research networks can provide opportunities extending beyond individual research projects.

“International partnerships significantly elevate Ohio University’s global research footprint and open direct pathways for student success,” Govorov said. Such collaborations, he added, connect graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with international laboratories and can create new opportunities for training and career development.

For Govorov, the goal of the IPF fellowship is ultimately to bring together complementary strengths on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Our objective is to combine IPF’s premier experimental capabilities with Ohio University’s theoretical and computational expertise to tackle challenging, fundamental problems where the outcome is truly greater than the sum of its parts.”