Sreelakshmy Thekkekara
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala| Grant Category: | Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships |
| Project Title: | Fundamental studies of earth-abundant materials-based cathodes for sodium-ion batteries |
| Field of Study: | Energy Studies |
| Home Institution: | Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Host Institution: | SLAC- National Accelerator Laboratory , Menlo Park, CA |
| Grant Start Month: | September 2025 |
| Duration of Grant: | Nine months |
Brief Bio:
Ms. Sreelakshmy Thekkekara is a PhD candidate in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram. Her doctoral research focuses on the development of cathode materials for high-performance sodium-ion batteries. She is passionate about innovations in energy storage devices and is actively seeking new methods to improve battery materials and discover new systems with enhanced electrochemical performance.
Sreelakshmy holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Vimala College, Thrissur, and a master’s degree in physics from the Central University of Kerala. She is a Prime Minister’s Research Fellow and began her PhD at the School of Physics, IISER, in August 2022.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, National Accelerator Laboratory, Sreelakshmy is conducting scientific research focused on the fundamental studies of earth-abundant materials for cathodes used in sodium-ion batteries. This research area is crucial to advance sodium-ion battery technology, which is considered a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to the abundance and lower cost of sodium compared to lithium. Her work will also involve understanding electrochemical processes and structural changes using various spectroscopy and imaging techniques, including electron, X-ray, and neutron methods. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, listening to music, and exploring new places to discover food and culture.