Bio:
Ellina Bernard is the group leader of the Waste Valorisation group at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology (Empa), Switzerland, where she works on the development of alternative low embodied energy CO2 binders. Her research aims to look at the hydration, stability, strength, and durability of potential alternative materials based on clays and/or cementitious materials. Her research interests mainly focus on the hydration/carbonation mechanisms and kinetics of the reactions, but also on the structures, the compositions, the surface properties, and the stability of the phases composing such binders. Dr. Bernard uses advanced characterisation techniques, including synchrotron analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as thermodynamic modelling.