Laura Capelli

Laura Capelli is Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry Materials, and Chemical Engineering. Prof. Capelli’s main research activity is related to the study and the development of innovative sensor systems (“electronic noses”) and their applications in environmental, medical, and industrial fields. Her core expertise lies in environmental odour monitoring, the focus of her PhD, and especially in the development of Instrumental Odour Monitoring Systems (IOMS) for the continuous monitoring of odour emissions and the real-time classification and quantification of odours. This unique know-how has earned her group international recognition. In recent years, she has expanded her research to include the use of electronic noses combined with machine learning tools for medical diagnostics, food quality control, and industrial process monitoring. Notably, in collaboration with Humanitas Research Center, she led the development of a non-invasive electronic nose for early detection of prostate cancer. This resulted in a published international patent, seven peer-reviewed journal articles, several conference contributions, and awards such as 1st Prize for “Disruptive Innovation” at the Switch-2-Product Innovation Challenge (Politecnico di Milano, PoliHub, Deloitte). In 2021, the project received a €200,000 Proof of Concept investment from a venture capital fund to raise TRL and launch a start-up. Since 2020, she collaborates with the TechRes Lab (Prof. Dellacà) at the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering on breath analysis applications. Her team also recently filed a patent for using gas sensors to monitor industrial chemical processes. She is actively involved in EU projects, including a H2020 project on odour nuisance monitoring and a Eureka Eurostars project on landfill emissions, where she serves as scientific manager and work package leader. Author of over 210 scientific publications (133 Scopus-indexed), she has 2,939 citations and an H-index of 30. Internationally recognized, she currently serves as Vice-President of the International Society for Olfaction and Chemical Sensing (ISOCS).