Erica Pensini conducts research at the interface between soft matter, functional materials, colloid and interface science and water purification. Examples of her research include: 1) Piezoelectric and mechanolectric soft-materials that sense and resolve pressure and shear direction; 2) low-energy approaches for separation of water-miscible pollutants from water and environmental remediation; 3) colloidal dispersions, and emulsion stabilization and destabilization.