Elisa Michelini is associate professor in analytical chemistry at the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician” of the University of Bologna (Italy). Her research activity is focused on developing optical biosensors for diagnostics, water, environmental, and agro-food sectors. In the last ten years her activity has been also focused on smartphone biosensors, paper sensors and biosensors relying on 3D cell models. She is author of more than 100 articles on high impact journals (h-index 40) and her work has been cited more than 5000 times (Scopus). She’s been placed in the top 0.5% of all scholars worldwide according to the most recent 2024 ScholarGPS rankings. She has been recipient of several awards including the Nanotech Applications Award (2009), Marlene DeLuca Prize (2012), Genelux Award (2014) and EPA Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge (winner Phase I 2022; honorable mention Phase II 2024). She coordinated a NATO-SPS project and has been deeply involved in EU projects (Horizon Europe and PRIMA-Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area. She is associate Editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Member of the Advisory board of the Sensors & Diagnostic Journal (Royal Society of Chemistry).