About Dr. Taleana Huff
Dr. Taleana Huff is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, Canada whose research sits at the nexus of physics and chemistry. She leads an independent research program in surface science and nano-physics, focusing on investigating atomically precise structures, molecular assemblies, and surface reactivity.
Born in Edmonton Alberta, she moved to North Dakota in the United States at a young age, spending her formative years there and eventually receiving her BSc at the University of North Dakota. While fortunate to do an exciting 4th year summer internship at NASA and having her BSc thesis astrophysics-based, she realized her favorite part of research was the hands-on work with the research equipment. Missing the north and wanting to pursue said hands-on aspects, she returned to Edmonton for her graduate studies at the University of Alberta, changing her focus to experimental condensed matter physics. She earned both her MSc and PhD at the University of Alberta; her MSc developed qPlus atomic force microscopy as a new characterization technique for her advisor’s group, while her PhD went on to use it for exciting nano-scale work.
Her doctoral thesis explored building and characterizing ultra-green ultra-fast electronic circuit elements made out atomically-sized atomically-precise quantum dots, receiving the University of Alberta Faculty of Science dissertation award. Her work also validated and set the direction for her advisor’s spin-off company looking to commercialize atomically precise quantum dots (Quantum Silicon Inc.), who are still advancing this technology to this day. The commercial and academic impact of her doctoral work led to Dr. Huff receiving the National Colton Research Medal in 2021.
After her PhD, she did a brief stint as a research associate at the National Institute for Nanotechnology (now National Research Council of Canada Nanotechnology Research Centre) in Edmonton but was ultimately lured to industry by the prospect of working on a unique industry challenge: atomically precise 3D manufacturing. She spent four years as a Senior Research Scientist for CBN Nanotechnologies in Ottawa, leading a research team using surface-science scanning probe methods to build “the world’s smallest 3D printer”, picking and placing atomic/molecular building block fragments in atomically-precise patterns. Dr. Huff maintains strong research ties with CBN Nanotechnologies.
She eventually returned to academia, and is now working as an Assistant Professor in Chemistry (cross-appointed to Physics) at Queen’s University. Her research passion is atomic characterization — she thrives on the detailed physics and chemistry underlying how atoms and molecules interact with surfaces, how we can visualize and manipulate them, and how that understanding can lead to breakthroughs in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum devices, and low-power electronics.
At the same time, she places a strong emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), believing that the future of nano science will be strongest when a full diversity of voices, backgrounds and perspectives are included. She structures her lab to foster a collaborative, inclusive environment where curiosity and rigorous characterization are tied together with a sense of shared purpose: to push the limits of what we can see and build at the atomic scale, and to do so in a way that reflects and respects all members of the scientific community.
