Moyses Araujo, Professor of Physics
Moyses Araujo earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physics at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil. He completed a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics at Uppsala University (UU), followed by a postdoctoral position at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, supported by the Swedish Research Council.
In 2011, he joined Yale University in the USA as a postdoctoral researcher funded by the Yale Climate and Energy Institute. Moyses Araujo returned to Uppsala in 2012, and started his own research group with the support of the Swedish Research Council’s Young Researcher Grant in 2014. He joined Karlstad University in 2020 as a Senior Lecturer.
“My research is about understanding how atoms combine to form materials with specific properties, using tools from quantum physics and, more recently, artificial intelligence. The goal is to design new materials that can drive the development of technologies such as batteries and solar cells.
Moyses Araujo has always been fascinated by renewable and clean energy solutions, and he wants his research to contribute directly to the energy transition our society is facing.
“The field is highly interdisciplinary, combining physics, chemistry, and engineering. Our research helps explain how today’s materials for batteries, solar cells, and photocatalysis work, providing guidelines for improving their performance. More importantly, we design entirely new materials with the potential to accelerate technological advances that will support the energy transition.”
Moyses Araujo has received several recognitions, including the Benzelius Prize from the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala, the Ångström Premium, and the Bjurzon’s Premium, which is awarded for the best PhD thesis at Uppsala University.
“My aim is to continue developing an active and dynamic research environment in computational condensed matter physics and materials science. I want to further integrate artificial intelligence into our methods, strengthen collaborations with colleagues nationally and internationally, and continue focusing on clean and renewable energy applications. This requires trust which is a cornerstone of all human relationships. In academia, trust is especially important: it underpins our teaching, research, and outreach activities.
In his free time Moyses Araujo enjoys jogging and loves being with his family – playing, exploring, and traveling together – preferably to Spain where they spend their summer holidays.