Laura Rossi works at the interface of chemistry, physics and engineering to design complex colloidal particles for self-assembly of novel functional materials. In specific, she focuses on the development of novel techniques for the preparation of colloids with unusual functionalities with an emphasis on magnetic colloids. The goal is to gain fundamental understanding of in- and out-of-equilibrium assembly of colloidal particles and use this knowledge to prepare new materials with specific mechanical, optical and therapeutic properties.