Prof. Jordi Arbiol graduated in Physics from the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) in 1997, he went on to obtain his PhD (European Doctorate and PhD Extraordinary Award) in 2001 from this same institution in the field of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) applied to nanostructured materials. He was assistant professor at the UB. From 2009 to 2015 he was ICREA Professor and group leader at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC). He was President of the Spanish Microscopy Society (SME) (2017-2021) and held the position of vice-president from 2013 to 2017, having been a member of its Executive Board (2009-2021). In 2018 he was elected as Member of the Executive Board of the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy (IFSM) (2019-2026).
Since 2015 he has been ICREA Professor and leader of the Advanced Electron Nanoscopy Group at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST. He is Scientific Supervisor of the Electron Microscopy Area at ICN2 and BIST, and also at the Electron Microscopy Center at the ALBA Synchrotron (EMCA). He has been one of the founding members of e-DREAM. He received the FWO Commemorative Medal (Flanders Research Foundation) in 2021, the BIST Ignite Award in 2018, the 2014 EU40 Materials Prize by the E-MRS, the 2014 EMS Outstanding Paper Award and was listed in the Top 40 under 40 Power List (2014) by The Analytical Scientist. As of May 2022 he has more than 415 peer-reviewed publications and more than 24700 citations (GoS) with h-index: 88 GoS (76 WoS).
Núria Aliaga-Alcalde is ICREA Professor (https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/nuria--aliaga-alcalde-429) at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Spain, where she is part of the "Functional Surfaces and Interfaces" Research Unit and leader of the group FunNanoSurf, "Functional Nanomaterials & Surfaces" (http://departments.icmab.es/funnanosurf/). She completed her PhD in 2003 at Indiana University, USA, and did postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institut für Bioanorganische Chemie, Germany, and Leiden University, The Netherlands. In 2007 she started as an ICREA Junior Researcher at the University of Barcelona (UB), becoming ICREA Professor in 2012 at the ICMAB. Her current research focuses on the design and characterization of molecular-based materials, including their nanostructuration and application, taking advantage of their magnetic, electronic and fluorescent properties in bulk, on surfaces, and as individual active components in nanodevices.
Dr. Christos RIZIOTIS is a Principal Researcher / Research Assoc. Professor at the Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute of the National Hellenic Research Foundation -NHRF, Athens, Greece where he is leading the activity "Applied Photonics-Materials and Devices". Dr. Riziotis is also Honorary DSRI Fellow of the Defence and Security Research Institute, University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He holds a Ph.D. in Photonics from Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton, UK, an M.Sc. in Electronics and Telecommunications and a Degree in Physics both from National University of Athens. His research interests cover the areas of photonic materials, integrated optics, direct laser writing, fibre sensors, optical communications, nanophotonics, plasmonics, and quantum photonics. His work has led to a number of successfully demonstrated applications in defence industry, Structural Health Monitoring, industrial process monitoring, chemical sensors and biomedical / healthcare devices. He has participated or developed a number of collaborations and R&D projects with industry (Pirelli Cavi, Southampton Photonics, Stratophase, MBDA Missile Systems, Kleemann Lifts S.A., Opticon S.A., Bayern Chemie Propellants GmbH etc). He has authored a wide thematic range of around 100 publications in Journals and international conference proceedings, holding also three (3) patents. He is reviewer in over 45 technical Journals, committee member in a number of international conferences, editorial board member and Guest editor in several Journals in sensors, materials and instrumentation. He serves also as Management Committee Member for a number of research academic networks like COST Actions in the areas of sensing, novel materials, manufacturing, and healthcare, while served also as expert in the IEC Standardization Committee for Fibre Optic Sensors
Paula Marques (born 1969) has a first degree in Chemistry (1993), a MSc in Chemistry and Physics Teaching (1997) and a PhD in Materials Science Engineering, with specialization in Biomaterials (2003) from the University of Aveiro (UA) in Portugal.
Paula is a Principal Researcher at TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Mechanical Engineering Department, UA. Currently is the Deputy-Director for Society and Social Responsibility in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Sub-Director of the research unit TEMA (Centre of Mechanical Technology and Automation) board of Directors, responsible for new areas of specialization.
Her current research interests include the engineering and development of nanostructured multifunctional materials including graphene derivatives such as: (i) mechanical and electrical stimulus responsive 3D graphene-based scaffolds for tissue engineering; (ii) functional graphene-based macrostructures for water remediation; (iii) electrospun graphene/polymer fibres for photocatalysis; (iv) graphene-based materials as mechanical reinforcement of polymer matrixes.
Paula is author of 77+ original research or review papers in international journals (2900+ citations, h=28 – Scopus), about 7 book chapters, 2 books and 3 patents. Paula has been invited to review manuscripts from 30+ different international journals and to evaluate projects from Cost and Era-Net funding agencies. Paula supervised or co-supervised 10 MSc, 12 PhD students, and 8+ post-doctoral fellows. Since April 2019 she is coordinating a FET Open H2020 project, “NeuroStimSpinal: A Step Forward to Spinal Cord Injury Repair Using Innovative Stimulated Nanoengineered Scaffolds". She is also coordinating and co-coordinating several Portuguese Projects obtaining under competitive funding.
Regarding Paula’s pedagogical role, she is the teacher in charge for the 3rd cycle curricular unit Carbon Nanostructures, and teacher of the 2nd cycle curricular unit Technologies and Processes at Nanoscale.
Stergios Pispas is Director of Research at TPCI-NHRF. He studied Chemistry at the University of Athens, Greece and he obtained his PhD in Polymer Chemistry in 1994. After a Post-Doctoral appointment in USA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and short visits to IBM Almaden Research Center and University of Massachusetts (1994-1995) he returned to Greece. He joined TPCI-NHRF in 2004 where he initiated research in polymer science. His research interests include the tailored synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers and polyelectrolytes utilizing living/controlled polymerizations, physicochemical studies on block copolymer supramolecular assemblies and the development of hybrid polymer based nanosystems for applications in nanomedicine. He has published more than 400 research articles, reviews and book chapters, receiving more than 10,000 citations. He is co-author of three books. He has been awarded the American Chemical Society A. K. Doolittle Award, among several others. He is currently acting as Deputy Director of TPCI-NHRF, Editor of Polymers, as well as a Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the European Polymer Journal and the Colloid and Polymer Science journals.
Dr Castell is senior research scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) with more than 15 years of experience on air pollution research with a particular emphasis on air quality monitoring and modelling in urban and regional scales.
Her current research focuses in the exploitation of novel monitoring technologies and crowdsourced air quality observations to complement existing monitoring systems in the characterization and assessment of indoor and outdoor air pollution. She’s involved in the exploitation of low-cost sensor platforms for various applications including spatial mapping, visualization, uncertainty analysis, and personal exposure estimates.
She work for the European Topic Centre for Air Pollution and Climate Change Mitigation (ETC/ACM), to assist the European Environment Agency (EEA) in its support to EU policy on air pollution and climate change mitigation and to support further harmonising European monitoring networks and reporting obligations on air pollution and climate change.
In the last 3 years she led European and National projects (e.g. Citi-Sense-MOB, CrowdAir, GIRECON-CITY) focused in the use of low-cost sensors, perception data and citizen engagement. Her research research results have been published in conferences, peer-reviewed scientific journals, and technical documents. She also supervised the master thesis of University students in the exploitation of crowdsourced air quality observations.
Dr Qi Zhang has been an Ikerbasque research professor in BCMaterials since 2020. Before that, he worked in Cranfield University, UK as a research fellow in 1996, a senior research fellow in 1998, a senior lecturer in 2007. He was a full professor in Wuhan University of Technology, China since 2012. He is a fellow and charted scientist of Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining. He is acting as a chief scientist in three international companies. Zhang’s research work is focused on the areas of functional materials for energy storage and electrocaloric cooling, as well as on lithium batteries and on coatings for surface engineering. He has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers and 5 chapters in books, with a total citation of > 6500 and H-factor of 40. Some of his publications appeared in journals with high impact factors, such as, Science, Energy & Environ. Sci., Mater. Sci. and Eng. R: Report, Adv. Funct. Mater., Nano Energy and Nano Lett., among others. In addition, he co-edited the book entitled Electrocaloric Cooling (EC). He received Brian Mercer Feasibility Award, 2009, The Royal Society, UK.
Prof. Loredana Santo, PhD, is full Professor and Director of the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She is graduated with honors in Aeronautic Engineering in 1994. Since 2005, she has been an associate professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering of University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Italy. She teaches courses on manufacturing technologies and industrial sustainability. She is coordinator and co-organizer of international mini-symposia, member of scientific committee of international conferences, and member of editorial board of international journals. Her scientific activity has been mainly focused on the following topics: non-conventional processes, micromachining, innovative materials, and processes. She is author of more than 150 scientific papers.
My research work contributed to the recent advances of the emerging research field of nanomedicine. In 2020 I have been appointed to lead nanoformulation and nanocosmetic platform within the interdepartmental infrastructure “Nanotechnology for precision medicine and personalized beauty and Healthcare” NanoCosPha. In 2019, I was awarded with the first prize of the “Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Premio Giovani Talenti dell'Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca”.
1) I developed novel nanoconstructs based on nanoparticles functionalized with peptides, monoclonal antibodies or antibody fragments, as innovative tools for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, in the last few years my research interest has been focused on the investigation of new nanoparticles administration routes alternative to the intravenous one, in particular oral, topical and intranasal delivery (Morelli et al. Pharmaceutics, 2019; Musazzi et al.J. Nanobiotechnol.;2017; Salvioni et al.Pharmacol. Res.,2016).
2) I contributed to the invention related to a Patent (WO2014013473-A1) describing the development of a multifunctional nanoconstruct useful for therapeutic purposes with potential in the preclinical and clinical treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
3) Several high-impact publications reporting on the development of new methodologies for the synthesis, loading and bioconjugation of nanoparticles as drug delivery systems. I developed a new platform for tailoring the surface of nanoparticles. (Colombo et al. Nat. Commun.;2016).
4) I am author of 108 publications: 14 as first author and 24 as corresponding author with an IF of 34;(Scopus).
5) I have been the Principal Investigator of a My First AIRC Grant 2014 and AIRC Investigator Grant in 2022. These grant allowed me to establish and consolidate a new independent laboratory to conduct my research in nanomedical field and to develop a new targeted nanobased-tool.
Bożena Kamińska was born in 1961 in Bielsk Podlaski. She graduated from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Warsaw in 1985, after which she began her Ph.D. in biochemistry at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology. She defended her doctoral dissertation in 1991. In 1997, she received habilitation at the same institution. She became a full professor of biological sciences in 2003.
Professor Kamińska-Kaczmarek specializes in molecular biology and neurobiology. She currently works at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. She is the Head of the new Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology in the Neurobiology Center of the Nencki Institute, Director of the Molecular Medicine Laboratory at the Medical University of Warsaw, and a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
She worked in many international research centers. She did postdoctoral training at McGill University in Canada, cooperated with the American Brain Research Institute UCLA, and was a visiting professor (Nanshan Scholar) at Guangzhou Medical University.
In her career, Kamińska-Kaczmarek has pursued more than 44 domestic and international research grants. Among them were grants from Poland’s National Science Centre (Maestro, Harmonia, Symfonia, OPUS), the National Center for Research and Development (Strategmed 1, 2, 3), and the Foundation for Polish Science (Master, Team-Tech Core Facility). International grants included the NATO grant, European Union subsidies in two Framework Programs, and ERANET grants. She promoted 27 doctorates, three habilitations, and 10 Master’s theses.
Her achievements include 134 scientific publications (e.g. in Nature Communications and Cell) and 10 chapters in scientific books, reaching over 6000 citations and the Hirsch index of 42.
For her scientific work, she has been honored with numerous awards, among others, the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Habilitation, the Silver Cross of Merit, the Golden Cross of Merit, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Medal of the Commission of National Education.
Prof. Dalton has over 20 years’ experience in the production and characterisation of conducting nanomaterial networks, which includes numerous research grants(> £4 m)and industrial partnerships. He has over 140 publications and 12 patents with over 10000 citations. Alan is the co-director of the newly formed Sussex Programme for Quantum Research. His research group originally focused on carbon nanotubes in polymer matrices for transparent electrodes in partnership with Sharp Electronics and more recently graphene-polymer composites for a range of flexible conductive devices. Research into thin films of silver nanowires has led to the development of nanostructure-property design rules for device performance and demonstrations of fully functional touch screens. More recently, hybrid electrodes of graphene with silver nanowires have further increased performance and lowered cost. Through our partnership with Advanced Material Development Ltd, we have established connections with a range of companies seeking to develop devices based on solution-processed nanomaterials including RFID. Recently his research interests have evolved to include graphene oxide and its applications in materials for sensors and optoelectronics.
Edit Csapó obtained her Master degree in 2006 in Chemistry at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. She received her PhD in Chemistry in 2010; now she is assistant professor at the University of Szeged, Hungary. She is the head of the MTE-SZTE Lendület “Momentum” Noble Metal Nanostructures Research Group supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. She has been working on the development of novel biofunctionalized noble metal (mainly gold and silver) nanostructures for nearly 12 years, with a particular focus on the potential use of these new nanostructured materials synthesized by cost-effective, green chemical approaches in catalysis, sensing, and biomedical applications. In the last 5 years a new research topic is also started where the design of serum protein- and polymer-based colloidal carriers for targeted drug delivery is in focus of interest. She published more than 70 research papers (impact factor > 320) in international journals, which received nearly 800 independent citations to date.
Prof. Dmitri K. Efetov (M) received a Diploma (M.Sc.) in Physics from ETH Zurich (Switzerland) in 2007, and a M.A., M. Ph. and a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University (USA) in 2014, under supervision of one of the pioneers of graphene Prof. Philip Kim. Prior to joining ICFO in 2017, he had worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA). Since 2017 Dmitri is a professor and group leader at ICFO, whose research program concentrates on the development of novel composite materials known as “van der Waals (vdW) hetero-structures”, which consist of graphene and other 2D materials. Dmitri received the Charles H. Towns Award for his outstanding research achievements during his PhD, and the Obra Social ”la Caixa” Junior Leader Fellowship and an ERC starting grant to start his independent research group at ICFO. Prof. Efetov is leader of the 2D-SIPC project in the Quantum Flagship (1B€ project for 10 years), as well as a member of its Science and Engineering board.
Georgios C. Psarras is full professor since 2019 at the Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, Greece. He obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Physics Engineering in 1995 at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece where he was Post-Doctoral Research Fellow till 1998. He then joined the Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, Foundation for Research and Technology, Patras, Greece as reseracher. In 2000, he obtained a lecturer position within the Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, Greece. He was a visiting professor at the University of Science and Technology of Beijing, China in 2014 and Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary in 2016.
Prof Psarras research interests include:
Prof. Borodianskiy earned Ph.D. degree in Materials Chemistry (2011) from Bar Ilan University, Israel. Then, he spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Windsor, ON, Canada. In 2015 Dr. Borodianskiy was appointed an Assistant Professor at Ariel University, Israel. His research interests combine a traditional and advanced methods of synthesis and examination in metallurgy and materials science. His works focus on non-ferrous alloys, coatings synthesized by plasma oxidation, bioactive surfaces, and microstructure engineering of materials for renewable energy. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and 2 chapters in books. He’s actively supervises several graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. His research work was awarded by World Innovation Summit in US, and he received an Outstanding teaching award for the past 4 years. Dr. Borodianskiy is a member of many international conference organizing committees, a guest editor of numerous peer-reviewed journals and an active reviewer of several high-quality scientific journals.
Guillaume Lamblin received his PhD (2005) in electrochemistry from the University of Cergy-Pontoise (France). He joined the Nanomaterials Unit in the Materials Research and Technology (MRT) department in the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in 2015 as Research & Technology associates. Over the last 15 years, he worked in multidisciplinary R&D fields addressing nanotechnology, micro/nanofabrication, electrochemistry and material science in the fields of biosensing, energy and new materials/coatings. He is strongly oriented toward the translation of fundamental/applied research results towards higher Technology Readiness Level with industrial partners. His current research activities are mainly revolving around the elaboration of (micro/nano)-structures/materials through electrochemical synthesis (electrodeposition, anodization) and Li-ion batteries (ALD synthesis of cathodic materials, innovations in copper current collectors).