Ita Junkar is a chemical engineer, senior researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute, and an associate professor at the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School. She has a proven track record in innovation, holding 12 protected innovations and 7 granted patents, including 3 European patents. She is a coordinator of the Strategic Research Innovation Partnership (SRIP) Factories of the Future in Slovenia and serves as the president of its Management Board and was an external evaluator for the EU Commission on medical devices.
Her research interests focus on the design and development of biomaterials with biomimetic and multifunctional properties. In her research she combines advanced surface modification techniques such as hydrothermal treatment, electrochemical anodization, plasma electrolysis, and highly reactive gaseous plasma treatment for development of surfaces with tailored functionalities and specific biological responses. She is deeply engaged in interdisciplinary research, working closely with medical doctors and microbiologists to create biomaterials with advanced functionalities, with a particular emphasis on quantum interactions in biological environments.
