Olivia Merkel
João Borges
Dr. João Borges is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Chemistry and CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Porto in 2013. His research focuses on the molecular design, synthesis and development of bioinspired supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials, by combining polysaccharides, self-assembling peptides and nucleic acids, to be used as bioinstructive matrices to control cell functions and as platforms for controlled drug delivery. He is an Editorial Advisory Board Member of the Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medical Technology, and he has been elected member of the Biomaterials Chemistry Group Committee at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). He is the recipient of several honors and awards. He has been elected Chemistry Europe Fellow (Class of 2022/2023), Member of the RSC (MRSC), Member of the Global Young Academy (2024-2029), Member of the Young Academy of Portugal of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences (2024-2026), Journal of Materials Chemistry B Emerging Investigator (2023), and received the IUPAC Periodic Table of Younger Chemists Award (2019).
Beyond his academic activity and scientific impact, João has been strongly committed to connecting, mentoring, and empowering early-career scientists in advancing their professional development, as well as to delivering a positive social impact by being invested in science communication, outreach, and policy as a member of the Global Young Academy, Young Academy of Portugal, International Younger Chemists Network, and European Young Chemists’ Network.
Samuel Sánchez Ordóñez
Samuel (Chemistry, UAB, 2008) is Group Leader and Deputy Director at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia. In 2009, he worked at NIMS, Japan, from 2010-2013 he was Group Leader at the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, Germany. From 2013-2018 he was Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart. He was one of the first selected members of the Young Academy of Spain in 2020. He received several awards: Guinness World Record® 2010 and 2017 for smallest jet engine; MIT TR35 “Innovator of the year U35” Spain 2014; Princess of Girona Scientific Award 2015; and National Research Award for Young Talent by FCRi, in 2016, Banco Sabadell Award 2022 and RSEQ Reseach Excellence Award 2022. He obtained the ERC Starting Grant 2012, 2 ERC PoC 2016 and 2018 and the ERC-Consolidator Grant in 2019. He holds 7 patents, >160 publications, h-index 68 and >16000 cites.
Samuel Sánchez is leader of the “Smart Nano-Bio-Devices” group, working in the multidisciplinary field of Nanosciences with interest in developing hybrid robotics systems across different length-scales, from the nano- to the macroscale. Research interest spans from fundamental science, translational approach of nanodevices to the clinic to the exploitation of the protected intellectual property developed by the group. Currently, the main research lines in the group are: 1. Nanofabrication of nanobots as smart drug delivery systems for biomedical applications.; 2. Study of collective phenomena of active nanosystems; 3. Development of personalized medicine based on multifunctional biocompatible nanobots for patient-derived tumors and other diseases, 4. Use of medical imaging tools to track self-propelled nanobots in vivo and 4. 3D Printing living systems based on skeletal muscle tissues for tissue engineering, drug screening and living soft robotics.
