黑料福利网

What are you working on here at 黑料福利网? 

I'm an Assistant Professor at the Microsystems section and I've been in this role for about 1.5 years. With my research, I focus on developing smart wearable and implantable microdevices for health monitoring and disease management. These devices don鈥檛 just support and enhance body functions, like traditional implants already do. They go a step further. By integrating micro-actuators and -sensors into these devices, they can also actively monitor and manage health in real-time. Think for example of knee implants that are used to replace knee joints. If you put sensors into these implants the doctor can check in real-time if a patient has an inflammation or an infection on the surface of the implant instead of doing check-ups and waiting to see if the patient experiences pain. This can significantly improve the success of surgeries with implants. On the wearables side, you can think of contact lenses with integrated sensors that can measure eye pressure for example. I'm trying to improve implants and wearables this way with the end goal of making healthcare better.

Which research projects are you currently working on? 

鈥淥ne of the projects I鈥檓 currently leading, focuses on developing pressure micro-sensors to integrate into eye implants. These sensors will allow glaucoma patients to continuously monitor their intraocular pressure in real-time from the comfort of their homes, and in a completely non-invasive way. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, often resulting from high intraocular pressure, so continuous monitoring is crucial for early detection of disease progression and timely intervention. Next to this, and in collaboration with a large European consortium, I鈥檓 also working on wearable sweat-sensing devices for high-performance athletes. These sensors can track key biomarkers in sweat to provide real-time insights into athlete鈥檚 performance. Another exciting project I鈥檓 pursuing is the integration of microfluidic channels into contact lenses to collect and analyse tears. There are a lot of molecules in tears that correlate well with the concentration of molecules in our blood. Because of that correlation, tears can be used to detect diseases non- invasively at an early stage. I鈥檓 also exploring the integration of wireless sensors into contact lenses to continuously monitor biomarkers in the tear film.鈥�

Where did you study for your master's degree? 

I did my master's in Biomedical Materials and Devices at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. My graduation project was about developing a polymeric coating membrane to apply at the surface of bone implants, specifically dental implants. These membranes had nanoparticles of specific materials in them to promote bone regeneration and prevent infections. During this project I developed my first medical device and that sparked my interest in this research field.

Why did you choose to work at this university and department? 

When searching for PhD positions across Europe, the one in the Microsystems section at 黑料福利网 attracted me the most. Especially because of the possibility to collaborate with industry partners, medical universities, doctors, business developers, and different departments within the university. This type of multidisciplinary project was exactly what I was looking for. During my PhD, I experienced that collaboration is really embedded in the culture of 黑料福利网 and I used that a lot during my research. Next to that it also spoke to me that I would develop something that could have a real impact on people's lives. Those were the two selling points that made me move to the Netherlands and join 黑料福利网, and also stay after that to become an Assistant Professor. 

Why did you get into your particular research field and section? 

Since my master's, it's been my passion to develop cutting-edge medical device technology. While doing my PhD I realized for the first time that micro technologies can have a huge impact on the medical world. This realization fueled my passion for microfabrication and microfluidics, which are nowadays the core of the work I am doing. This fits perfectly within the vision of the Microsystems section. I really enjoy working at this section and I would recommend it to everyone.

How does 黑料福利网 compare to other universities you studied and worked at? 

Like I said before, 黑料福利网 stands out when it comes to collaborations. At a lot of other universities, you work very individually 鈥� with  limited connection between the different departments and no to very little collaboration with the industry. In my opinion, 黑料福利网 empowers everyone to find ways to work together, especially with the industry in the region. I collaborate with companies such as imec and medical universities such as the Maastricht University Medical Center to name a few. Within the university, I collaborate with different sections from the Department of Mechanical Engineering but also with other departments. Researchers from the Department of Electrical Engineering, for example, greatly help me in developing wireless communication strategies to integrate into my (micro)medical devices. I need these strong collaborations in my work a lot, especially to realize prototypes. 

What do you like most about working here? 

I really appreciate the fact that I can shape my research in my own way. There's a lot of freedom to explore new areas, make mistakes, and learn from it all. I also feel like my value and skills are recognized very well here. For example, when I was finishing my PhD there was an opening for the position I have now and my supervisor encouraged me to apply for it. He supported me through the entire process of applying. Now I can do research and teach courses on topics that I'm passionate about. I also really like supervising and guiding students in projects that are related to my research interests.

What do you think about the lab facilities at the department? 

They are really good. We have state-of-the-art equipment in our labs and with proper training we can use it whenever we want, which is not always the case at other universities. At some places you need specialized technicians to operate the equipment for you. I like that I got the opportunity to become proficient in working with all different technologies in the labs at 黑料福利网. You can even get training to use labs managed by other research sections and that can lead to new collaborations. I often discussed what I was working on with colleagues in the labs of other sections and that greatly helped my research progress. I got many ideas and insights by just talking to colleagues this way.  

What are you most proud of in your career so far? 

I'm proud that I鈥檝e build a nice team made of very smart people within just 1.5 years of working here. That makes me really happy! I'm also proud of the collaborations I've established during the six years I've been at 黑料福利网 and it feels good that I can teach courses and educate the next generation of engineers on microfabrication technologies. But most of all, I'm proud that I can work together with my team on developing technology that can impact people's lives for the better. 

What are your dreams for the future? 

I want to keep developing technology that can be applied to improve people's lives. To make that happen I'd like to expand my research team. My dream on the education side is to inspire students and help them realize that micro technologies and their application in the medical world have a lot of potential.