Barbara Pollini

Barbara Pollini is an Italian designer, researcher, and educator. She is Assistant Professor in Biodesign Integration at Aalto University. Her background is in Sustainable Design, Material Design and Biodesign; she holds master’s degrees in Ecodesign and Computational Design. In 2023, she completed her PhD at Politecnico di Milano, conducting research on Biodesign's potential for conventional and regenerative sustainability. Her twelve-year as senior lecturer at NABA Design University established her as an educator in Sustainable Design, DIY Materials, Biodesign and Design Fiction for sustainable futures. She constantly switches between hands-on experimentation and theoretical research, with a focus on material scenarios based on regenerative processes, including bio-based, living and life-enabling materials. As an Assistant Professor in Biodesign Integration, she aims to bridge the gap between design and hard sciences in education, transdisciplinary approaches across knowledge domains and departments, and to integrate biodesigned solutions for sustainable futures.