Chemistry Stories interviewed Olivia Leng this week as part of our Elements of Success series, which profiles undergraduates studying in the department. In addition to her studies and work in the lab of Prof. Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Olivia is in her third year of service to the Chemistry Student Union and founder and CEO of Meissner, a deep-tech startup. Here's what she had to tell us:
How did you first become interested in studying chemistry?
I was drawn to chemistry because of its extraordinary complexity and its capacity to probe the unknown. It sits at the intersection of physics, materials, and biology, constantly pushing us to bridge theory and application. What excites me most is that chemistry is not only a discipline of understanding but also of creation. It’s the science that allows us to take what we know at the atomic level and apply it to solving real-world problems, from energy efficiency to sustainability.
Can you remember a time when a fact about chemistry blew your mind?
Without question, the Meissner effect. It’s the phenomenon where a superconductor, when cooled below its critical temperature, expels all magnetic fields from its interior. The result is magnetic levitation — objects floating in mid-air because of perfect diamagnetism.
Reading about it in a textbook was exciting, but what truly took the idea from abstract to visceral was making my own superconductor samples in second year and watching them levitate above a magnet after cooling with liquid nitrogen. That hands-on moment turned a concept into a reality, and it’s what cemented my facination with superconductors. It’s also the inspiration behind the name of my startup, MEISSNER.
You are president of the President of the Chemistry Student Union. What led you to take this role, and what has it been like?
This is my third year serving as President of the Chemistry Student Union, and it’s been a defining part of my undergraduate experience. I first stepped into the role because I wanted students to feel the same sense of belonging and opportunity that I found in the department. Over time, it’s grown into a mission to leave the CSU stronger, more connected, and more ambitious than when I started.
Under my leadership, our team has introduced initiatives that will outlast any one executive term. We launched a peer mentoring program that pairs upper-year and first-year students, helping create support networks that extend beyond the classroom. We organized lab tours that demystify research and give undergraduates an early entry point into academic discovery. And we hosted the department’s first-ever Chemistry Conference, bringing together students, faculty, and alumni in a forum for collaboration and inspiration. That event is now poised to become an annual tradition — something that unites the entire department and amplifies student voices.
What has meant the most to me, though, is watching a culture of community take root. I’ve always believed the Chemistry department should feel like more than just a program of study — it should feel like a place where people are welcomed, supported, and inspired to push boundaries. Looking ahead to this final year, my focus is on cementing that vision and making sure the CSU continues to be a catalyst for opportunity long after I graduate.
This fall you have joined the Aspuru-Guzik Research group. How did that come together?
Professor Alan Aspuru-Guzik is someone I have tremendous respect for — not only because of his groundbreaking research, but also because of his entrepreneurial mindset and vision for the future of science. His group is at the forefront of combining chemistry, physics, and AI to accelerate discovery, and I see it as the perfect environment to grow as both a researcher and a founder. For me, this is an opportunity to learn from an incredibly bright and multidisciplinary team, while also contributing my own expertise in solid-state chemistry. I’m looking forward to collaborating, pushing boundaries, and being part of work that has the potential to reshape how we design and discover new materials.
In addition to your extra-curricular activities and school work, you are the founder and CEO of a deep-tech startup. Tell us about that.
I’m the founder and CEO of Meissner, a deep-tech startup focused on discovering the next generation of superconducting materials. Superconductors are unique because they can conduct electricity with 100% efficiency — no energy wasted as heat. Right now, nearly 8% of the electricity we transmit through copper wires is lost, which adds up to hundreds of billions of dollars globally each year. We’re building superconductors into wires that can eliminate this inefficiency.
Our approach is leveraging artificial intelligence and quantum simulations, and eventually self-driving labs, to discover rare-earth-free superconductors that are more sustainable and geopolitically resilient. Many of today’s superconductors rely heavily on rare-earth metals, which are largely imported from abroad and subject to geopolitical risk. By focusing on rare-earth-free alternatives, we can make the technology far more scalable and secure.
We’re starting with aerospace, where the appetite for cutting-edge technology adoption is high, before expanding into data centers, power grids, and electric vehicles — industries where superconducting wires can unlock massive energy savings and efficiency.
This venture has also been shaped by my experience in NEXT 36, a flagship program by NEXT Canada designed to accelerate the development of high-potential entrepreneurs. I was selected as one of Canada’s top 36 most promising entrepreneurs from a national pool of thousands of applicants — and the youngest in the cohort. The program’s goal is to help founders build high-impact ventures with mentorship from some of the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs, international business leaders, and renowned faculty from institutions like Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and the Rotman School at UofT. (To check out Meissner, visit their LinkedIn.)
Finally, what advice would you give new U of T undergraduates considering a chemistry specialty?
My advice would be to come into it with curiosity and openness. Chemistry is interdisciplinary and that means there are countless directions your path can take. Don’t worry about having it all figured out at the start. Instead, give yourself permission to explore courses, labs, and research opportunities until you find the area that sparks your excitement.
Finally, embrace the fact that chemistry is challenging. That’s what makes it worth pursuing. It’s a field where complexity isn’t something to fear but something to be inspired by, because solving those complex problems is how breakthroughs happen.
[Chemistry is] the science that allows us to take what we know at the atomic level and apply it to solving real-world problems, from energy efficiency to sustainability. --Olivia Leng