Frances M. Ross is a distinguished scientist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), renowned for her groundbreaking research in nanotechnology and electron microscopy. She received her B.A. in Physics and Ph.D. in Materials Science from Cambridge University, UK, where she became captivated by electron microscopy. She continued this interest during her postdoc at AT&T Bell Laboratories, as a Staff Scientist at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and later as a Research Staff Member at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center.

Prof. Ross joined MIT in 2018, where she holds the Ellen Swallow Richards Chair. Her research focuses on pushing the boundaries of electron microscopy techniques, including in-situ electron microscopy techniques to help understand self-assembly, electrochemical and other liquid phase processes. Her pioneering work in in-situ electron microscopy has revolutionized the field, allowing for the real-time observation of dynamic processes, such as crystal growth, nanoparticle assembly, and surface reactions. By leveraging advanced microscopy tools and innovative experimental methods, Ross and her team have uncovered fundamental insights into the behavior of nanomaterials, paving the way for advancements in diverse areas including materials science, physics, and nanotechnology. Prof. Ross is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Physical Society (APS), the Microscopy Society of America (MSA) and the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS). Prof. Ross is the author of more than 200 scientific original papers in this field, and has given uncountable invited talks at international and domestic conferences. In 2018 she was awarded the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy Hatsujiro Hashimoto Medal.