91ÊÓÆµ

donpu97

Donatella Puglisi

Associate Professor, Docent

Smart sensor technologies and applications, odor detection, innovation, sustainability.

Presentation

I have broad expertise and experience in interdisciplinary and international research spanning different scientific domains in the fields of applied sciences and engineering. My research interests include the development and operation of innovative sensor-based devices and machine learning-enhanced electronic noses for targeted detection of odors, with a focus on volatile organic compounds and air pollutants.

I have been principal investigator and active collaborator in several national or international research and innovation projects in the fields of early cancer diagnostics, medical devices, forensic sciences, indoor air quality and environmental monitoring, food quality control, and cultural heritage. My previous experience includes measurement and characterization of silicon carbide and other wide band-gap X-ray semiconductor detectors for space, high-energy physics, and medical applications.

In teaching, I designed and developed several courses at bachelor, master, and doctoral levels, fostering inclusive learning environments, and experimenting with innovative pedagogical approaches that combine challenge-, project-, problem-, and Agile-based learning.

I am an International Steering Committee Member of EUROSENSORS and Co-founder of NORNDiP, the Nordic Network for Diversity in Physics, for promotion and valorization of diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities, and female leadership in science.

My contribution to research, support of students and young professionals, technology transfer, networking, and community engagement, as well as my close collaboration outside academia with the industry, government, and civil society underline my commitment to pursuing shared goals, building bridges of collaborations, and realizing successful projects and initiatives on global challenges.

News

Ambassador of Italy in Sweden talks at the workshop.

Networking and collaboration in smart sensor technologies - highlights from the Italy-Sweden Bilateral Workshop

The Italy-Sweden Bilateral Workshop on Smart Sensor Technologies and Applications took place at 91ÊÓÆµ on 1-2 October 2024. It was organised by the Embassy of Italy to Sweden and 91ÊÓÆµ.

Two researchers from liu and a man from NSF

LiU researchers awarded first Swedish-U.S. collaboration of its kind

Donatella Puglisi and Jens Eriksson have been awarded funding for the first cooperative research activity between Sweden and the United States under the prestigious NSF Convergence Accelerator program, Phase 1.

Donatella Puglisi in the lab.

Electronic nose may help in court

Today, cadaver dogs are used to find human remains, for instance after a murder or a natural disaster. But as this practice faces both legal and ethical problems, researchers at LiU are developing an electronic nose as a complement the search dogs.

Selected research and innovation projects

Selected research and innovation projects

(PI-principal investigator; I-investigator)

International Projects

NSF Convergence Accelerator Program, Phase I, Track L: Real-World Chemical Sensing Applications, funded by the Swedish Research Council, Vetenskaprådet (VR), grant No. 2023-07219, and Sweden’s Innovation Agency, VINNOVA, grant No. 2023-04186, in collaboration with the US National Science Foundation (NSF), HEADLINE – Health Diagnostics Electronic Nose, 2024-2025. PI (Team Leader)

H2020 Research and Innovation EU-project SensMat, Preventive solutions for sensitive Materials of Cultural Heritage, GA no. 814596, 2019-2022. PI (Team Leader)

 

National Projects

VINNOVA Strategic Innovation Program Swelife, a joint venture of Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency, Diagnostic method for early detection of ovarian cancer (part 2), No. 2023-03874, 2024-2026. PI (Project Manager)

Swedish Police Authority, Smart Sensor Fusion for Complex Odor Profile Identification in Forensic Investigations (SCENT), grant No. A170.261/2024, 2024. PI (Project Coordinator)

VINNOVA Strategic Innovation Program Swelife and MedTech4Health, a joint venture of Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency, Diagnostic method for early detection of ovarian cancer via detection of volatile gases in blood plasma, grant No. 2022-03464, 2023-2024. PI (Project Manager)

Vetenskapsrådet (VR), Indoor biomass burning contributes to significant particulate matter exposure, chronic human health burden, and an economic drain in rural households, grant No. 2022-02991, 2023-2026. I (Participating Researcher)

Pilot Projects from Idea to Proof-of-Concept

Faculty of Science and Engineering (LiTH), LiU, INSPECT – Bio-Inspired machine olfaction platform to resolve complex forensic cases, Seed grant, 2025-2026. PI (Project Leader)

SOFO (Strategic Research Area in Forensic Sciences), Investigation of Cadaver Detection Dogs Training Aids with Quantitative Methods, Pilot project, 2023-2024. PI (Project Leader)

Swedish National Food Safety, Remote meat inspection using an electronic nose, Pilot project, 2023-2024. I (Team Leader)

Steering committees

EUROSENSORS

International Steering Committee Member, 2016-ongoing

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NORNDiP - Nordic Network for Diversity in Physics
Co-Founder and Board Member, 2018-ongoing

Education

Courses for undergraduate and graduate students

Experience as course coordinator, examiner, lecturer, supervisor in the following subject areas:

- Applied Physics, Experimental Physics, and Engineering

- Measurement Technology

- Sustainable Development

- Chemical Sensor Systems

- Agile Leadership and Management

Pedagogical approaches:

- CDIO – Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (hyperklink: )

- Project-, Problem-, Challenge-, Agile-based learning

Publications

2025

Silvia Casalinuovo, Daniela Caschera, Simone Quaranta, Donatella Puglisi, Domenico Caputo (2025) Sensors and Microsystems: Proceedings of AISEM 2024, p. 88-93 (Conference paper)
Ivan I. Shtepliuk, Guillem Domènech-Gil, Viktor Almqvist, Arja Helena Kautto, Ivar Vågsholm, Sofia Boqvist, Jens Eriksson, Donatella Puglisi (2025) Journal of Big Data, Vol. 12, Article 96 (Article in journal)
Ivan Shtepliuk, Donatella Puglisi, Jens Eriksson (2025) Applied Surface Science, Vol. 696, Article 162985 (Article in journal)
Cecilia Enberg, Anders Jidesjö, Ola Leifler, Donatella Puglisi (2025) A Practical Guide to Understanding and Implementing Challenge-Based Learning, p. 131-139 (Chapter in book)

2024

Silvia Casalinuovo, Alessio Buzzin, Antonio Mastrandrea, Marcello Barbirotta, Donatella Puglisi, Giampiero de Cesare, Domenico Caputo (2024)

Organisation