Elena Bichoutskaia began her research career in Physics at St. Petersburg University, Russia. During her undergraduate research, she invented a new gas-discharge lighting system for colour-dynamic devices. Her invention was introduced to the industrial market and a series of devices have been produced and used in a number of advertising displays. In 2000, she received her PhD in Physics and Mathematics. In the past six years, her research involved tackling problems in the fields of Chemistry and Materials. From 2000 until 2006 she was Research Associate at the Universities of Nottingham, Sussex and Cambridge, England. In 2006, she was awarded a Royal Society UK Relocation Fellowship at the Department of Chemistry, University of Nottingham. In 2006, she has published 8 articles on fundamental behaviour and properties of nanomaterials. Elena Bichoutskaia is the recipient of a few academic awards including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Anniversary Award (1996) and Russian President Boris Yeltzin's Research Scholarship (1997-1998).