Meet Energy Futures Lab’s new Research Development team

Energy Futures Lab has appointed two new staff members to support the development of energy research at Imperial.

Dr Marina Lomberg and Dr Maria Sokolikova have joined the institute as Research Development Managers, responsible for nurturing cross-faculty collaborations and stimulating new research opportunities.

The team will sit at the heart of the institute’s operations and play a key role in supporting the College’s vibrant energy research community, according to Professor Peter Childs, Co-Director of the institute.

“We’re delighted to appoint Maria and Marina to these important positions at Energy Futures Lab. Both are already very familiar with the College’s work in the energy space and bring great enthusiasm and insight to the team,” he says. 

Dr Marina Lomberg

Before joining Energy Futures Lab, Dr Marina Lomberg was Operations Manager at Imperial’s Sustainable Gas Institute and Programme Manager for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Supergen Hub, a UK-wide network of hydrogen and fuel cell researchers.

I’m looking forward to making connections and getting to know our community even better Dr Marina Lomberg Research Development Manager, Energy Futures Lab

“Imperial is one of the best places in the world to do energy research,” she says. “We have first-class academics and people here. I experienced that when I was a PhD student at the College, working on solid oxide fuel cells in Professor Nigel Brandon’s group.” 

“The other thing that makes Imperial great is our state-of-the-art facilities. Our labs, pilot plants and test facilities underpin our cutting-edge science and innovation and enable us to build meaningful partnerships with industry, which in turn helps to attract critical public research funding,” says Marina.

 “That’s what makes my role so exciting; I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to help Imperial’s energy researchers to create impactful multi-disciplinary research programmes and secure more funding for transformational work that will bring us closer to achieving Net Zero.” 

Dr Maria Sokolikova

Dr Maria Sokolikova is also very familiar with Imperial energy research, joining the institute from the Department of Materials where she was a Research Associate in the Two-Dimensional Materials Research Group led by Dr Cecilia Mattevi.

“I’ve been at Imperial for eight years now and I really appreciate the values that Imperial stands for in terms of inclusivity, open opportunities and transparency. In my own work, I realised how important it is to bring people from different backgrounds together and involve different voices,” she says. 

“I see that as a big part of my role at Energy Futures Lab – creating opportunities to connect people who might work in adjacent fields, helping them to see how their work fits together and enabling them, through communication, to develop new ideas for projects that can answer bigger questions and challenges.” 

Get in touch

Energy Futures Lab’s Research Development team is a valuable asset from which all energy researchers at Imperial can benefit, according to Professor Anna Korre, Co-Director of the institute. 

“At Energy Futures Lab, we strive to ensure that our colleagues across the College get the resources and support they need to do world-leading research and make a positive impact on society. Our Research Development team is an integral part of that work; they are in your corner at every stage of project development,” she says. 

Marina and Maria are both keen to speak to as many members of Imperial’s energy research community as possible over the coming months and say they would encourage researchers of all levels to get in touch about potential research projects or ideas for collaboration.

“We are very open to having any sort of conversation, and our door is always open for an informal chat. We will, of course, be organising workshops and reaching out to the community when opportunities arise, but I’m looking forward to making connections and getting to know our community even better,” says Marina.

You can contact Marina and Maria by emailing efl.researchdevelopment@imperial.ac.uk. 

Academics working in energy research can apply to become an Energy Futures Lab affiliate by clicking here.