We are exceptionally proud to announce that our Principal Investigator, Prof. Husam Alshareef, has been appointed as an Ibn Alhaytham Distinguished Professor within the Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE). This appointment is the highest academic honor conferred by KAUST, recognizing sustained excellence in research, education, and scientific leadership.

Inspired by the Islamic Golden Age and the "House of Wisdom" (Dār al-Ḥikma), this Distinguished Professorship is named after Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham (circa 965–1040). Known as the father of modern optics, Ibn Alhaytham’s reliance on empirical observation and reproducible experimentation helped shape the foundations of modern science. Carrying a title named after such a pioneering polymath underscores the weight of Prof. Alshareef’s contributions to the scientific community.

Professor Husam Alshareef is a leader in materials science, known for his pioneering expertise in nanoscale materials for energy and electronics applications. He joined KAUST in 2009 as a founding faculty member and served as the Chair of the Materials Science & Engineering Program. He currently serves as Chair of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST) and principal investigator of the Functional Nanomaterials & Devices Laboratory. With more than 640 journal publications, 100 conference papers, nearly 75,000 citations, and 80 issued and pending patents, Alshareef has been a Clarivate Analytics highly-cited researcher in Materials Science for several years (2019-2023). He is a Fellow of several prestigious societies, including the Materials Research Society, American Physical Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, U.S. National Academy of Inventors, UK Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. His research advances new battery chemistries designed to perform reliably in extreme environments, including lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries that are safer, cheaper, and longer-lasting. He is collaborating with ARAMCO and the local industry to develop batteries for oil drilling applications and advanced battery inspection technologies. He is also developing next-generation 2D materials known as MXenes, used to create electronics, sensors, and imaging devices.