9.Naeimeh BAHRI-LALEHSenior Postdoctoral Researcher
(Sato Group)

Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Hiroshima University,
Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute

bahri_naimeh_at_yahoo.com

Dr. Naeimeh Bahri-Laleh is a Specially Appointed Associate Professor and researcher specializing in smart aerogels, mechanically interlocked molecules, and supramolecular assembly. She completed her PhD in Polymer Engineering at the Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI) in 2011. In 2012, she joined IPPI’s Engineering Department as an Assistant Professor, promoting to Associate Professor in 2017. In November 2023, Dr. Bahri-Laleh became a Postdoctoral Researcher in Prof. Hiroshi Sato’s group at Hiroshima University, and she was appointed Associate Professor there in 2025. Her research centers on the design and synthesis of advanced functional polymeric aerogels, utilizing mechanical bond strategies, self-assembly techniques, and topologically active molecules. Notably, she focuses on integrating mechanically interlocked architectures—such as Catenanes and related systems—into aerogels to develop materials with tunable mechanical, rheological, and responsive properties. Her work uniquely combines polymer chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and materials engineering to create innovative soft materials with multifunctional capabilities. By leveraging the dynamic and structural advantages of mechanically interlocked molecules, her research contributes to the development of self-adaptive, multifunctional aerogels and smart soft materials with potential applications in advanced technologies and functional materials science

Mentor ：Hiroshi Sato　
Co-Mentor ：Takeharu Haino 　
Co-Mentor ： Ivan Smalyukh　

What I like about my science
the opportunity to create new materials and understand how molecular design influences their properties and functions. I enjoy combining concepts from polymer chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and materials science to develop smart materials with advanced functionalities. In particular, I am fascinated by mechanically interlocked and topologically active molecules, because their unique architectures open new possibilities for controlling mechanical, rheological, and responsive behaviors.

Website links
https://seeds.office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/profile/en.a2ee1949dca95aba520e17560c007669.html 　
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GCABowEAAAAJ&hl=en