Arri Priimägi

• 09/2018-02/2020 - ERC Proof of Concept Grant "Optical Sensing of Relative Humidity Using Photoswitchable Molecules"
• 05/2016-04/2021 - ERC Starting Grant "Tunable Photonic Structures via Photomechanical Actuation"
• 09/2014-08/2019 - Academy of Finland Research Fellowship "Halogen-Bonded Photocontrollable Functional Materials"

- Gathering an excellent research team, full of motivated and bright minds that are willing to combine their strengths.

- Being granted the Academy of Finland Award for Scientific Courage in 2018, thanks to the excellent team!

- Winning the ERC Starting Grant in 2016, and the ERC Proof-of-Concept Grant in 2018.

- Taking the courage to live and work in Japan, which was an invaluable experience both professionally (thanks to Prof. Atsushi Shishido) and personally (thanks to the life-long friendships made).

- Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2009, by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, made me feel that I did something right during my PhD work.

- Most importantly, raising two lovely and talented kids, who love me despite the fact that I work too much :)

Some good reads from the past few years

• C. Fedele, E. Mäntylä, B. Belardi, T. Hamkins-Indik, S. Cavalli, P.A. Netti, D.A. Fletcher, S. Nymark, A. Priimagi, T.O. Ihalainen, "Azobenzene-based sinusoidal surface topography drives focal adhesion confinement and guides collective migration of epith elial cells ", Scientific Reports 2020, 10, 15329.
• H. Shahsavan, A. Aghakhani, H. Zeng, Y Guo, Z.S. Davidson, A. Priimagi, M. Sitti, "Bioinspired underwater locomotion of light-driven liquid crystal gels ", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2020, 117, 5125.
• H. Zeng, H. Zhang, O. Ikkala, A. Priimagi, "Associative Learning by Classical Conditioning in Liquid Crystal Network Actuators ", Matter 2020, 2, 194.
• H. Zhang, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, "Programmable responsive hydrogels inspired by classical conditioning algorithm", Nature Communications 2019, 10, 3267.
• A. Berdin, H. Rekola, O. Sakhno, M. Wegener, A. Priimagi, "Continuously tunable polymer membrane laser", Optics Express 2019, 27, 25634.
• O.M. Wani, R. Verpaalen, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, A.P.H.J. Schenning, “An artificial nocturnal flower via humidity-gated photoactuation in liquid crystal networks“, Advanced Materials 2019, 31, 1805985.
• M. Lahikainen, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, “Reconfigurable photoactuator through synergistic use of photochemical and photothermal effects“, Nature Communications 2018, 9, 4148.
• H. Zeng, P. Wasylczyk, D.S. Wiersma, A. Priimagi ”Light Robots: Bridging the Gap between Microrobotics and Photomechanics in Soft Materials”, Advanced Materials 2018, 30, 1703554.
• M. Poutanen, Z. Ahmed, L. Rautkari, O. Ikkala, A. Priimagi, “Thermal Isomerization of Hydroxyazobenzenes as a Platform for Vapor Sensing “. ACS Macro Letters 2018, 7, 381.
• J. Vapaavuori, C. G. Bazuin, A. Priimagi, "Supramolecular design principles for efficient photoresponsive polymer–azobenzene complexes", Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2018, 6, 2168.
• O.M. Wani, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, ”A Light-Driven Artificial Flytrap”, Nature Communications 2017, 8, 15546.
• H. Zeng, O.M. Wani, P. Wasylczyk, R. Kaczmarek, A. Priimagi, ”Self-Regulating Iris Based on Light-Actuated Liquid Crystal Elastomer”, Advanced Materials 2017, 29, 1701814.