Bragg Prize 2026 laureate

Receiving the W. H. & W. L. Bragg Prize is a great honor, and a meaningful moment to reflect on the path that led me here. My work has focused on understanding molecular crystals as dynamic entities, where structure, properties and motion are intimately intertwined and can be exploited to design adaptive and responsive materials.

This perspective did not emerge in isolation. It is the result of a journey across different countries, laboratories and scientific cultures, where I had the privilege to interact with outstanding researchers who continuously challenged my way of thinking. Each place added a new layer: from fundamental crystallography to crystal engineering, from structure-property relationships to the broader concept of structure-properties-dynamics.

Crystalline materials can be engineered not only for what they are, but for how they evolve. In this sense, dynamics is not a complication to be avoided, but a powerful design variable.

I see this recognition not as an endpoint, but as an incentive to push these research directions further, guided by the many people and ideas that have contributed to shaping this evolving vision.