At Purdue University, the Canepa Research Lab designs functional materials from first principles.

We use and develop multiscale computational methods to answer pressing questions in materials science and chemistry, with a direct impact on society.

Our calculations start from accurate electronic-structure theory and draw on thermodynamics, electrochemistry and supercomputing, to understand why materials behave as they do and to find better ones. We release our codes as open source.

The Canepa Research Lab is moving to Purdue University

Sept. 19, 2026 by Piero

We are thrilled to announce that on November 2nd, 2026, the Canepa Research Lab will move from the University of Houston to Purdue University, joining the School of Mechanical Engineering! This is an exciting new chapter for the group, and we can’t wait to continue...

Our perspective on machine learning interatomic potentials for solid-state batteries appears in Chem. Mater.

Sept. 11, 2026 by Piero

Our perspective “Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials for Modeling Solid-State Batteries” has been published in Chemistry of Materials, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.6c01051. The work was led by Mgcini Keith Phuthi and Shyue Ping Ong, and brings together researchers from UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, MIT, Lawrence Berkeley National...