Biography

Who am I ?

I am a university professor trained in physics and physical chemistry, dedicated to creating bioinspired materials and advanced surface‑engineered systems. My research spans biopolymers, hybrid material architectures, bacterial adhesion, and biocorrosion protection. As a passionate scientist and teacher, I strive to communicate with efficiency and empathy. I am strongly committed to transforming fundamental discoveries into real‑world industrial solutions.

Education

1998-2001

Physical Chemistry Department of the University of Basel, Switzerland
PhD (Phil. II, summa cum laude)…

1998

Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
Diploma in condensed matter physics…

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Leadership

Supervision of 19 PhD theses (5 running), 9 postdoctoral fellows and 21 master theses

Experience

SINCE 2015
Full professor, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), School of Sciences and Technologies for the Environment and Energy (CSTEE), Institute of Analytical Sciences and Physical Chemistry for the Environment and Materials (IPREM), UMR5254, Pau, France
2011-2015
Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship (SNSF), assistant professor, Chemistry
Department, University of Geneva, Switzerland
2019-2010
Scientist in Research and Development, BIWI S. A., Glovelier, Switzerland
2002-2009
Scientific assistant, Chemistry Department of the University of Basel, Switzerland
2001-2022
SNSF Postdoctoral associate, New Jersey Center for Biomaterials and Medical Devices,
Rutgers, New Jersey State University, Piscataway, United States (young researcher award
from the Swiss National Science Foundation) under the supervision of Prof. Joachim Kohn

Distinctions

Swiss National Science
Foundation (SNSF)
professorship
01.2011-08.2015,
University of Geneva,
Switzerland

Scientific activity

Production

0
refereed publications (Web of science)
0
book chapters, editor of a book and of two Wiley special issues in commemoration of the late Professor Dr. Wolfgang P. Meier
0
patents
over0
invited or keynote lectures
over0
citations

Editorial responsabilities

Editor of two special issues in commemoration of the late Professor Dr. Wolfgang P. Meier, i) Macromolecular Biosciences, Volume 23, Issue 8, ii) Rapid Macromolecular Communication, Volume 44, Issue 16, 2023

Biological Soft Matter: Fundamentals, Properties, and Applications, Corinne Nardin (Editor), Helmut Schlaad (Editor), Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2021, 288 pages, ISBN: 978-3-527-34348-5

Research interests and overview

Man-made and biological worlds meet at
biointerfaces, where many familiar processes
are fundamentally impacted by spatial and
compositional constraints. Inspired by Feynman, I believe that “there is a lot of room” at biointerfaces where I constantly look at solutions for issues of concern in various sectors. As learned from bioinspiration and bioutilization, I focus on bridging the gaps between the health, energy and environmental fields with a multidisciplinary biological soft matter approach. My scientific interests thus revolve around biointerfaces.
To preserve both human and environmental
health, I am focusing on soft (self-assembly)
and mild biochemical (enzymatic) processes,
using natural molecules, and polymers to
develop i) Biointerfaces through the functional
modification of materials with biomacromolecules for various applications (aptasensors, functional polymersomes) ii) Antimicrobial coatings and biomaterials free of antibiotics and of other biocides.

National et international collaborations

International

Penn State University (US): two PhD thesis supervisions with Prof. Yi Zhang (Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University)

University of Twente (The Netherlands): PhD cosupervision with Prof. G. Julius Vancso (professor and cofounder of Sulis Polymers Ltd.)

Université de Jendouba (Tunisie): cotutelle thesis with Prof. Jridi Mourad (associate professor and director of the Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Béja)

National

Institut National de le Recherche Médicale (Inserm) : Dr. Lydie Ploux (Biomaterials and Bioengineering, UMR _S 1121 INSERM / EMR 7003 CNRS / Université de Strasbourg, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de
Strasbourg)

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) : Dr. Lavinia Balan (Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux : Haute Température et Irradiation CEMHTI – UPR3079
CNRS, Orléans)

Project management

Antimicrobial coatings and biomaterials
2024-2027
French National Association for Research and Technology (ANRT); Industrial Convention of Research Training PhD grant (CIFRE)
2022-2026
French National Research Agency (ANR); PhD grant co-supervision (Université d’Orléans, France): Development of antimicrobial urinary catheters coatings free of antibiotics and of other biocides; project partner
2022-2025
PhD grant co-supervision (Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France): Development of bio-sourced, antimicrobial hydrogels and films
Soft (self-assembly) and mild biochemical (enzymatic) processes
2022-2025
Chinese Scientific Council (CSC) PhD grant co-supervision (Penn State University, US): Enzyme-triggered protein nanoparticle-loaded contact lenses as ophthalmic drug delivery systems. Cotutelle PhD grant (Université de Jendouba, Tunisia): Marine and vegetal byproducts valorization into bioactive polymer materials
2019-2024
Marie Sklodowska-Curie research and innovation staff exchange (RISE): Soft Biocompatible Polymeric NANOstructures: A Toolbox for Novel Generation of Nano Pharmaceuticals in OphthaLmology
2022-2025
Institutional PhD grant co-supervision (Penn State University, US): Cold active transglutaminase crosslinking of protein hydrogels

University and governmental services

2024
Elected member of the research and academic councils
SINCE 2021
Institute referent of the Groupement de Recherche (GDR) ‘Bioingénieurie des interfaces’
2020
Creation and responsible for the international master BioInspired Materials in the heart of the graduate school for Energy and Environmental Innovation (Green) since 2022 and partner of an Erasmus Mundus to open in 2026. Ongoing Erasmus agreement with the University of Twente (The Netherlands). Double diploma agreement with the Lebanese University to operate from 2025 on
SINCE 2020
University referent of the Research Regional Network ‘Humain Reconstitué et Recomposé en Santé’
SINCE 2018
Physics full professor
2016-2020
Appointed scientific officer of the ‘Initiative Science Innovation, Territoires, Economie’ (ISite) Energy & Environment Solutions (E2S) university operational committee
2015-2021
• Appointed member of the IPREM Scientific Council;
• Elected member of the School of Sciences & Technologies for the Energy and the Environment Council
Institutional expert commission member (28 section) since my appointment in 2015 as an associate professor

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