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Unni Olsbye (born 1964) is Professor and leader of the Catalysis Section at the Chemistry Department of the University of Oslo (UiO).

She is author of more than 140 scientific papers (H-index 44) and holds several patents.

Her field of expertise is heterogeneously catalysed processes with emphasis on structure-composition-function correlations and mechanistic studies. In recent years, she has mainly studied microporous catalysts (zeolites, MOFs), but keeps a parallel activity of reactions promoted by supported metal catalysts. Processes studied include methanol to hydrocarbons (olefins and gasoline), methane reforming and partial oxidation to syngas, light alkane dehydrogenation, methyl halide conversion, ethene oligomerisation, ethene oxychlorination and CO₂ hydrogenation. Olsbye graduated as a Chemical Engineer from NTNU in 1987, and proceeded to work with Elf Aquitaine (1988-90), on a project which earned her a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry at UiO in 1991. During 1991-2000, she was a scientist, then senior scientist and group leader in the Department of Hydrocarbon Process Chemistry at SINTEF, and in 2000-2001 an R&D manager at NORDOX, before joining  UiO in 2001. Olsbye is full Professor in Chemistry at UiO since 2002. During 2007-2015, she was Managing Director of inGAP (Innovative Natural Gas Processes and Products) – a Norwegian Centre of Excellence for Research-Based Innovation. Olsbye is an elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and of the Norwegian Academy of Technical Sciences; she is Associate Editor of ACS Catalysis, and serves in the Advisory Boards of several research entities and journals.

Personal homepage: http://www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/english/people/aca/unniol/index.html