Dr. Shivaprakash Ramakrishna

Instructor

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Biography

Ramakrishna completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Kuvempu University, Karnataka, India, and obtained his PhD in 2013 from the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich. His PhD research focused on adhesion and tribology of nanoscale rough surfaces. After completing his PhD, he worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology from June 2013 until June 2015, where he investigated the frictional and mechanical properties of stratified layers in polymer brush-gel structures utilizing colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. He then served as a Senior Scientist at the same laboratory from June 2015 until March 2020. His current research focuses on measuring rolling friction at the nanoscale using AFM and visualizing the three-dimensional conformations of soft microgel particles at liquid-liquid interfaces in real-time with exceptional spatial resolution. His broader expertise includes nanotribology, nanomechanics, atomic force microscopy, surface and interface science, and soft matter.

Research Interests

Courses

Atomic Force Microscopy

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.