Fraunhofer IKTS, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems, Dresden, Germany

Sylvia E. Gebhardt is head of the group Multifunctional Materials and Components of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) in Dresden, Germany. She studied Material Science at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany and at Leeds University, UK. She received the Diploma degree in 1996 and was awarded a Ph.D. degree in 2000 for her thesis on development and characterization of fine-scaled 1-3 piezocomposites for ultrasonic transducers.
Her research interests are focused on materials development of ferroelectrics like lead free piezoelectrics, electrocaloric materials, antiferroelectrics, PTC thermistors, and others. Another key area of her work covers the technology development for the manufacture of ceramic components like screen printing of piezoceramic thick films for sensors, actuators, and ultrasonic transducers, multilayer fabrication for electrocaloric cooling components and high-power capacitors, micromolding for high frequency ultrasonic transducers, as well as fiber spinning and composite fabrication for medium and low frequency ultrasonic transducers.