Professor Robert Forster holds the Personal Chair of Physical Chemistry at Dublin City University and is a globally recognised leader in electrochemistry and sensor research. Elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2020, he has made significant contributions to the fields of electroanalytical chemistry, nanobiomaterials, electrochemiluminescence, and wire-free electrochemistry. He has published over 300 research papers, including more than a dozen front-cover articles in leading journals such as J. Am. Chem. Soc., Anal. Chem., Chem. Commun., and the Nature family.

Professor Forster has played a pivotal role in establishing five national research centres, including the National Centre for Sensor Research and the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, securing over €75 million in external funding through Science Foundation Ireland and the Higher Education Authority. His research has led to the development of innovative, commercially viable technologies—most notably SepTec, commercialised by Novus Diagnostics and supported by the prestigious EIC Accelerator award.

He is an experienced and dedicated mentor, having supervised more than 47 PhD students and over 60 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to become professors, industry leaders, and founders of successful spin-out companies. He has held visiting positions at Caltech and UC Berkeley, and served as DCU Dean of Research and Associate Dean of Science and Health. Professor Forster is also a member of the editorial board of Electrochemistry Communications and has served on the board of ACS Analytical Chemistry.