Energy Storage and New Energy Carriers for Energy Transitions

Hirushie Karunathilake is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, at Aalto University, Finland. She was formerly an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in USA, and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. She received her BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, in 2014, and obtained her PhD in energy systems planning and decision making from the University of British Columbia, Canada in 2018. Her specialty is in developing risk-based decision support systems for energy and sustainability applications. She has experience in multidisciplinary research, industry collaborations, and national and international projects related to energy system planning, energy efficiency, climate policy, carbon capture, and sustainable product development, and she has authored many journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters in this area. She has also served as an editor and a reviewer for various journals, books, and conferences.

Sanjeeva Witharana is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Research Group Leader at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He obtained his PhD from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and subsequently held prestigious EPSRC Postdoctoral and Max Planck Research Fellowships in the United Kingdom and Germany, respectively. His international research experience includes advanced scientific training at MIT, Harvard University, and Diamond Light Source. His interdisciplinary research spans nanomaterials, nanocolloids, thermal sciences, energy technologies, and biomedical applications of nanotechnology, integrating fundamental scientific discoveries with practical engineering innovations. He has authored over 150 scholarly publications and contributed to internationally published scientific books. He has also served as an editor and guest editor for international scholarly publications and special issues, a reviewer for leading scientific journals, and an external examiner for doctoral degrees at internationally recognized universities.