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ESMP Group Alumni
Ph.D. Students, Postdocs, and Staff
Najiya
Ph.D. Candidate
Najiya worked on a collaboration between the LCSB and ESMP on making artificial blood vessels for organoids with liquid crystal elastomers.
PROJECT
ECLECTIC
FROM
Kerala, India
DATES
2021–2025
DEFENDED
10 March 2025
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Researcher, Uplift360
Yong Geng
Postdoctoral Researcher
Yong worked on several projects involving the use of cholesteric liquid crystals for security and safety applications.
PROJECT
SSh; INTERACT
FROM
Shandong, China
DATES
2015–2017; 2019–2024
Rijeesh Kizhakidathazhath
Postdoctoral Researcher
Rijeesh worked on polymerizable liquid crystals for myriad applications, ranging from mechanochromic liquid crystal elastomer sensors to polymerized cholesteric shell reflectors for authentication and identification purposes.
Manos worked on projects related to hydrodynamics and flow of colloidal systems, their self-assembly, and applications.
PROJECT
INTERACT; COReLIGHT
FROM
Heraklion, Greece
DATES
2017–2022
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Institut Jožef Stefan, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Katrin Schelski
Ph.D. Candidate
Katrin studied electrospun liquid crystal-filled fibers for use in gas sensing applications.
PROJECT
COMMONSENSE
FROM
Germany
DATES
2019; 2021–2022
Shameek Vats
Ph.D. Candidate
As part of the INTERACT project, Shameek worked on electrospinning textile-grade polymer fibers containing liquid crystal cores for use as gas sensors.
PROJECT
INTERACT
FROM
Delhi, India
DATES
2017–2022
DEFENDED
8 October 2021
Anjali Sharma
Ph.D. Candidate
As part of the MASSENA doctoral training unit, Anjali worked on exploring the physics of liquid crystal shells and their use in biological sensing applications.
PROJECT
MASSENA
FROM
Ghaziabad, India
DATES
2017–2021
DEFENDED
28 May 2021
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Nature Publishing Group, Berlin
V.S.R. Jampani
Postdoctoral Researcher
Jampani's work dealt with liquid crystal elastomer systems with novel shapes for use in soft robotics and actuators.
PROJECT
INTERACT, TRENDSETTER
FROM
Andhra Pradesh, India
DATES
2015–2020
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Institut Jožef Stefan, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Catherine Reyes
Ph.D. Candidate/Postdoc
Catherine was a part of the INTERACT project to investigate the complex phenomena behind electrospinning functionalized polymer fibers containing liquid crystal cores and for the use of these fibers in gas sensing.
PROJECT
INTERACT
FROM
New York City, New York, USA
DATES
2014; 2015–2020
DEFENDED
15 February 2019
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Camila Honorato Rios
Ph.D. Candidate/Postdoc
Camila worked with the MISONANCE project to characterize the behavior and properties of cellulose nanocrystal dispersions.
PROJECT
MISONANCE
FROM
Temulco, Chile
DATES
2015–2019
DEFENDED
3 May 2019
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Senior Research Scientist, Uplift360
Christina Schütz
Postdoctoral Researcher
Christina worked at ESMP as a Humboldt fellow on functionalizing cellulose nanocrystal suspensions.
PROJECT
Functionalizing cellulose nanocrystal suspensions
FROM
Halle (Saale), Germany
DATES
2017–2019
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Wacker GmbH, Halle
Anshul Sharma
Postdoctoral Researcher
Anshul worked on the INTERACT project to electrospin liquid crystal elastomer fibers for use in soft robots.
PROJECT
INTERACT
FROM
Solan, India
DATES
2016–2018
JungHyun Noh
Ph.D. Student
Under the framework of her own AFR project ULISCO, JungHyun used microfluidics to produce liquid crystal droplets and shells and studied their optical and structural properties.
PROJECT
ULISCO
FROM
Seoul, South Korea
DATES
2012–2013; 2014–2018
DEFENDED
28 March 2018
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Corning Group, Seoul
Martin Urbanski
Postdoctoral Researcher
Martin was in ESMP with his own AFR Postdoc project, DISGONA, characterizing the dielectric properties of liquid crystal suspensions incorporating gold nanoparticles.
PROJECT
DISGONA
FROM
Paderborn, Germany
DATES
2015–2017
Johanna Bruckner
Postdoctoral Researcher
Johanna spent nine months in ESMP with a scholarship from the Dr. Leonie Schöninger Foundation, studying cellulose nanocrystal suspensions in various solvents.
PROJECT
Dynamics of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions
FROM
Stuttgart, Germany
DATES
2015–2016
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Group Leader, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Stuttgart
Paula Souza
Research Facilitator
PROJECT
Helping us secure funding and manage our obligations to funding agencies
FROM
Madrid, Spain
DATES
2014–2023
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Office of the Vice Rector for Research, University of Luxembourg
Adamantia Galani
Group Secretary
PROJECT
Helping manage projects and other administrative tasks
FROM
Greece
DATES
2021–2024
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ultrafast Condensed Matter Physics Group, University of Luxembourg
Vanessa Schmidt
Group Secretary
PROJECT
Helping manage projects and administrative tasks
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2015–2020
Dae-Kyom Kim
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Electrospinning
FROM
Seoul, Republic of Korea
DATES
2010-2014
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Chung Ang University
Minsik Hwang
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Electrospinning
FROM
Seoul, Republic of Korea
DATES
2010-2014
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ajou University
Jong Hwan Lee
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
(insert stuff)
FROM
Seoul, Republic of Korea
DATES
2011-2014
CURRENT AFFILIATION
N/A
Hsin-Ling Liang
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Confinement of liquid crystals through microfluidic methods
FROM
Taipei, Republic of China
DATES
2009-2013
DEFENDED
25 September 2013
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Cambridge Smart Plastics
Stefan Schymura
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Carbon nanotube and liquid crystal dispersions
FROM
Ludwigsburg, Germany
DATES
2008–2011
DEFENDED
4 July 2013
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Wilhelm Ostwald Park
Eva Enz
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Electrospinning core–sheath fibers with liquid crystal cores
FROM
Waiblingen, Germany
DATES
2009-2013
DEFENDED
16 April 2013
Martin Kühnast
Ph.D. Candidate
PROJECT
Dispersions of carbon nanotubes in liquid crystals
FROM
Germany
DATES
2009-2010
B.Sc. and M.Sc. Thesis Students
Axel Lorant
B.Sc./M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Mechanochromic liquid crystal elastomers for fracture detection
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2022; 2023–2024
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ministry of Education, Luxembourg
Florian Bruch
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Drying of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2024
CURRENT AFFILIATION
M.Sc. in Physics, University of Luxembourg
Claudia Kieffer
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Characterizing refractive indices of liquid crystal mixtures
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2023
Valentin Kengawe Ziambi
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Modeling flows in liquid crystal elastomer systems
FROM
Brussels, Belgium
DATES
2023
CURRENT AFFILIATION
M.Sc. program in Physics, University of Luxembourg
Xiang Zhang
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Phase separation of liquid crystal droplets into shells
FROM
P.R. China
DATES
2020–2021
Andy Stoffel
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Microfluidics to produce liquid crystal shells
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2019–2020
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ministry of Education, Luxembourg
Andy Schanen
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Interfacial tensiometry of liquid crystals
FROM
Schengen, Luxembourg
DATES
2018–2019
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ministry of Education, Luxembourg
Joana Ferreira Machado
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Auxetic responses of liquid crystal shells
FROM
Lisbon, Portugal
DATES
2018
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Strategic Advisor, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg
Majdi Assaid
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Light scattering properties of CLC-templated polymers
FROM
Jenin, Palestine
DATES
2021
CURRENT AFFILIATION
University College London
Rukhsar Ahmed
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Electrospinning polymer fibers
FROM
Gujrat, Pakistan
DATES
2021-2022
Hala Alami Laroussi Akhriff
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Rheology of polymer solutions
FROM
Morocco
DATES
2019
Kevin Reguengo de Sousa
B.Sc./M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
ULISCO; INTERACT
FROM
Tétange, Luxembourg
DATES
2015; 2016–2017
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ministry of Education, Luxembourg
Mathias Bourg
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
DISGONA
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2015–2016
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ministry of Education, Luxembourg
Sammy Wagner
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
MISONANCE
FROM
Steinfort, Luxembourg
DATES
2015–2016
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Mayor, Commune of Steinfort
Benjamin Henx
B.Sc. Student
PROJECT
ULISCO
FROM
Luxembourg
DATES
2015
YooMee Kye
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Multicore electrospinning
FROM
Seoul, Republic of Korea
DATES
2013–2015
Sarah Dölle
M.Sc. Student
PROJECT
Properties of liquid crystal and carbon nanotube composites
FROM
Germany
DATES
2008–2009
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Fraunhofer Institute, Potsdam, Germany
Visitors and Interns
Chibuike Ezeanochie
Intern
Chibuike worked with Yosuke on the production of mechanochromic cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer sheets.
VISITING FROM
University of Luxembourg
DATES
2024–2025
PROJECT
COSAMOS
Emily Ostermann
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
Emily Davidson's Group, Princeton University
DATES
2024
PROJECT
Synthesis of liquid crystal oligomers
Rebecca Warga
Intern
VISITING FROM
New Jersey Institute of Technology
DATES
2024
PROJECT
Constructing and designing set-ups for microfluidics
Paul Wiesen
Intern
VISITING FROM
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
DATES
2024
PROJECT
Mechanochromic liquid crystal elastomer sheets
Tarkan Koç
Intern
VISITING FROM
University of Luxembourg
DATES
2022
PROJECT
Commercialization of liquid crystal CSR applications
Francesco Basoli
Visiting Professor
Francesco visited us in the framework of the INTERACT project on the spinning of responsive fibers incorporating liquid crystals.
VISITING FROM
Università di Roma, Campus Bio-Medico
DATES
2018–2021
PROJECT
Electrospinning of polymer fibers functionalized with liquid crystals
Mitchell Magrini
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
David Walba's group, University of Colorado Denver
DATES
2019
PROJECT
Microfluidically produced liquid crystal shells from novel mesogens
Urša Uršič
Intern
VISITING FROM
University of Ljubljana
DATES
2018–2019
PROJECT
Liquid crystal elastomers under confinement
Benjamin Dupas
Intern
VISITING FROM
ESPCI Paris
DATES
2018
PROJECT
Colloids
Cyrine Charni
Intern
VISITING FROM
Université de Lorraine
DATES
2018–2019
PROJECT
Synthesizing liquid crystal elastomers
Vinay Kopnar
Intern
VISITING FROM
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
DATES
2018
PROJECT
Hydrodynamics of colloidal systems
CURRENT AFFILIATION
Ph.D. candidate in Soft Matter Physics, Durham University, UK
Ross Volpe
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
Chris Yakacki's group, University of Colorado Boulder
DATES
2017
PROJECT
Liquid crystal elastomer shell actuators
Lenka Vítková
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
Tomas Bata University, Zlín, Czechia
DATES
2021
PROJECT
Electrospinning collagen fibers
Tabea Pfister
Intern
VISITING FROM
University of Stuttgart
DATES
2021
PROJECT
Properties of chitin nanocrystal suspensions
Dirk-Jan Mulder
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
Eindhoven University of Technology
DATES
2016
PROJECT
Liquid crystal elastomers
Domenico Alj
Visiting Ph.D. Student
VISITING FROM
Università di Calabria
DATES
2016
PROJECT
Organization of cellulose nanocrystals
Angelo Manna
Intern
DATES
2017
PROJECT
Liquid crystals of varying flavors
Duckhee Kim
Intern
DATES
2015
PROJECT
Liquid crystals of varying flavors
Julia Martius
DAAD Intern
Julia visited the SNM group for three months as a DAAD-funded intern, working with JungHyun on microfluidic production of liquid crystal droplets and shells.
