Alexandra Paterson shortlisted for international ‘Nature’ Inspiring Women in Science award

Article | Kevin Puckett (Center for Applied Energy Research) | Oct 16, 2026

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Paterson is one of only eight women selected worldwide in the category and the only woman based in the United States. Jeremy Blackburn | UK Creative Services

Alexandra F. Paterson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky’s Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, has been named to the 2026 Nature Awards Inspiring Women in Science shortlist in the Scientific Achievement category. She is one of only eight women selected worldwide in the category and the only woman based in the United States.

Presented in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies, the awards celebrate and support the achievements of women in science and all those who work to encourage girls and young women to engage with STEM subjects and stay in STEM careers around the world. The 2026 winner will be announced Nov. 3 at a ceremony in London, England.

Paterson is a Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholar and an assistant professor of materials engineering with a joint appointment in electrical engineering. Her Organic Materials and Devices Laboratory is based at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), where her team studies new forms of semiconductors and the fundamental physics that determine how those materials perform in devices.

Paterson and her team at CAER work to address urgent challenges in energy, sustainability and healthcare. Her research focuses on flexible electronic devices made from organic, carbon-based materials rather than conventional rigid materials such as silicon. These materials could support new technologies, including wearable health sensors, low-energy computing and smart agricultural tools.

“Semiconductors are really important. They are the backbone of our digital electronic world,” Paterson said. “Researching new semiconductors opens up a whole new world for applications and technologies that can benefit humanity.”

The Nature recognition builds on two major early-career honors Paterson received in 2025: the U.S. National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Young Faculty Award.

Paterson said the recognition reflects the strength of a broad research community, including her students, colleagues and collaborators at UK and around the world.

“These things don’t happen because of one person. It’s the strength of the team, our environment and our collaborators,” Paterson said. “At the University of Kentucky, we have an extremely strong organic electronics team, and it is all of these things together that have made this possible.”

Research reported in this publication was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2441261. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

This material is based upon work supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under agreement number D24AP00298. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).