Mahdokht Shaibani

Associate Professor Mahdokht Shaibani is a L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Fellow (2021) and a research leader in sustainable battery technologies for electric vehicles and the broader clean energy transition. Based at RMIT University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, her work focuses on the design, scale-up, and circularity of next-generation energy storage systems, with particular expertise in lithium–sulfur batteries, silicon anodes, and battery recycling and repurposing.

Dr Shaibani’s research spans the full battery lifecycle—from materials development to end-of-life recovery—and is driven by a strong interest in building a sovereign and sustainable battery supply chain in Australia. Her work directly addresses the challenges associated with the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, including battery performance, safety, and recycling.

She has published extensively in leading journals such as Science Advances, ACS Nano, and Nature Communications, and has contributed to more than $23 million in competitive research funding as a Chief Investigator and collaborator. Her work has also led to multiple patent applications in advanced battery technologies.