TU/e welcomes six excellent new early career scientists who will use their MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship grants to work (mainly) in Eindhoven for the next two years. The grantees are all matched with a supervisor and sponsor who is an expert in their field and who played an active role in the application for these grants.
Personal development and gaining skills are at the forefront of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship grant. It is one of the ways in which talented early-career scientists are able to forge a career in science.
The grant is focused on personal development and, as such, differs from other personal grants that focus on fundamental research, such as the NWO Veni-Vidi-Vici grants or the ERC Starting, Advanced, and Consolidator grants.
The applications for any of these grants can count on the Personal Grants Team of the Research Support Office at TU/e to help them with their applications. Esther Philips, one of the personal grants advisors: "Every year at the start of a new annual call for the MSCA Fellowships, we hold a webinar for scientists who want to come to the TU/e. And once they decide to accept our help, we will read their applications and support the preparations for the submission."
Not all’applicants use the help of the Personal Grants Team, which is a pity. Philips: "This year, we have intensively supported five of the six successful applications. So, we feel we can make a difference, although it is always also up to the applicant and their plan for their research and personal development. We are very happy to welcome these talents to our university. They are all starting at different times over the course of 2025."
Next year’s call for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships opens on May 8 . The Personal Grants Team’s webinar can be attended on May 12 . Registration is required.
Claudiu Savulescu
HeatScopy - Visualizing the Structure of Phase Change MaterialsThis research focuses on the development of an innovative experimental methodology to explore plant-based phase change materials (PCMs) for energy storage. The purpose is to track the evolution of nanoand micro-scale surface features of PCMs, which would then be used to predict heat storage performance for sustainable and cost-effective plant-based waxes: soy wax and coconut wax.
Supervisor: Maja Rücker
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Chiara Tramontano
Capitalizing on apolipoprotein trafficking to deliver mRNA to the brainThe PORTAL project investigates apolipoprotein nanoparticles (aNPs) as a platform for mRNA delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). By screening 400 aNP variants, this research aims to optimize BBB penetration and therapeutic efficacy for neurological disorders. Integrating protein engineering, RNA therapeutics, and neuroinflammation models, the study seeks to establish aNPs as a breakthrough in brain-targeted mRNA delivery.
Supervisor: Willem Mulder
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Sajjad Afrakhteh
Streamlining Clinical Applicability of Ultrasound Localization Microscopy via Advanced Reconstruction ModelsULMARM (Ultrasound Localization Microscopy with Advanced Reconstruction Models) is paving the way for improved vascular ultrasound imaging. Traditional methods struggle with long acquisition times and ultra-high frame rate demands, but ULMARM will tackle these challenges using advanced reconstruction techniques. By improving temporal resolution and motion tracking, this project brings us closer to faster, more accurate ULM, making cutting-edge imaging practical for clinical use. With support from the MSCA Fellowship, ULMARM aims to redefine the future of ULM in medical imaging.
Supervisor: Ruud van Sloun
Department: Electrical Engineering
Qingqing Gu
Dynamic three-dimensional migration of Pd single atom species of Pd/TiO2 single atom catalysts during CO oxidationSingle-atom catalysts (SACs) have been one of the most active frontiers in heterogeneous catalysis, due to the maximum utilization of precious metals and their remarkable catalytic performance. More and more works have demonstrated that SACs tend to undergo structural evolution in response to reaction conditions. Identifying the structural evolution of SACs during real reactions is crucial but challenging. This project aims to reveal the dynamic evolution of single atoms of SACs during CO oxidation and thereby guide the design and fabrication of better-performing SACs.
Supervisor: Emiel Hensen
Department: Chemical Engineering & Chemistry
César Gómez Pérez
Integrated Control, Process, and Green Solvent Design for Biorefinery ProcessThis project is on a mission to revolutionize sustainable chemistry by tackling the unique challenges of green solvents. Through advanced modeling, innovative process design, and cutting-edge experiments, it aims to create smarter and flexible systems for reusing solvents efficiently. The ultimate vision is to enable large-scale, eco-friendly, and economically feasible biorefinery plants, driving forward the circular economy and paving the way for a greener, more sustainable chemical industry.
Supervisor: Leyla Özkan
Department: Electrical Engineering
Foto: Vincent van den Hoogen
Dominic Lauzon
Induced fit as a generalizable strategy to accelerate biosensor kinetics for continuous monitoring applicationsContinuous glucose monitoring has been a game-changer for diabetic patients, offering real-time health insights and empowering better management. With guidance from Pr. Maarten Merck, this fellowship aims to take that innovation further by exploring continuous monitoring for other critical health markers. The research focuses on overcoming engineering hurdles to create a groundbreaking sensing technology that improves both speed and reliability, paving the way for a new era of advanced health monitoring solutions.
Supervisor: Maarten Merkx
Department: Biomedical Engineering
