Matias Alvear is an assistant research scientist with the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI). He joined Johns Hopkins in January 2026.

While he has conducted research across a range of chemical engineering fields, Alvear’s expertise lies in reaction kinetics and chemical process development, particularly in heterogeneous catalysis. At ROSEI, Alvear’s work will focus on developing innovation and technology transfers.

Alvear serves as a technical advisor and supports investment scouting and evaluation for different investment groups. He has also chaired numerous international conferences and serves on several scientific boards.

Alvear received his PhD in chemical engineering from Åbo Akademi University in Finland, where he was awarded the best thesis award (Harry Elvings Legat Award) in 2023. He earned his master’s in chemical engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy and received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria in Chile.