Afroditi Synnefa is a Physicist specializing in energy and environmental issues with focus on the built environment. She has a PhD in Physical Sciences by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She is an adjunct senior lecturer in the High-Performance Architecture Research Cluster at the Faculty of the Built Environment, at UNSW, Sydney, Australia. Her main research interests include: development of innovative materials for the built environment to mitigate the urban heat island effect, optical and thermal characteristics of materials for the built environment, urban climate change and heat mitigation technologies, energy efficient building, indoor environmental quality, sustainable energy technologies and energy saving technologies in buildings and settlements. She has contributed in more than 20 research projects funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, the NT Government, the CRC for Low Carbon Living, the European Commission, the Hellenic General Secretariat for Research and Technology and other national and private funds.  She is the Technical Committee leader of the European Cool Roofs Council where she also acts as a consultant. She has teaching experience in undergraduate & postgraduate levels and in professional education and e-learning. She has co-supervised 10 undergraduate & postgraduate students. She is a reviewer of 17 and editorial board member of 2 international scientific journals and an evaluator of international research programs. She is co author of 7 books and book chapters, she has 32 articles in peer reviewed international journals (1 ISES best paper award and 5 highly cited papers by SCI), 42 peer reviewed conference papers and 13 conference presentations, 18 invited lectures at conferences and universities and 7 articles in the technical press.