In this section we will introduce some of the researchers from University of Antwerp and University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu Cluj-Napoca which are currently working in BorderSens. In future issues we will introduce the rest of partners involved in the project.
Hello everyone! I am Robin, 23 years old, and I graduated last year as a Master of Science in Chemistry at UA. Since November 2019, I am working as a researcher on the BorderSens project at the AXES lab in Antwerp. Together with my great colleagues Marc and Noelia, I perform electrochemical measurements to gain insights on the electrochemical behaviour of illicit drugs. Working on this project is something I thoroughly enjoy for various reasons. I am surrounded by very talented and motivated people, which pushes me to give the best of myself and stimulates my personal growth. Besides, I love it that I can work on a project that creates an added value for society, it is great to spend your working time on something meaningful! The future is thus looking very bright, and I cannot wait to spend the coming years working on BorderSens!
Hello everyone! I am Noelia, a Spanish PhD student from BorderSens project at UA. Born in Barcelona, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, with a specialization in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry (2014-2018), and a Master’s degree in Electrochemistry (2018-2019) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Before joining BorderSens project, I focused my research on enzymatic biosensors based on graphene platforms and their potential application in industry at the Sensors and Biosensors Group (GSB) at UAB. At this point, I was very motivated to pursue a research career as a PhD student. I was offered to work in an international environment and the opportunity to improve my professional skills in a such an interesting project like BorderSens. Currently, I am working on the development of an electrochemical strategy for the detection of heroin in the field with low-cost device. To do so, a thorough electroanalytical study is being developed for heroin and all the cutting agents present in the vast majority of seized samples. Additionally, the development of new strategies to enrich the electrochemical fingerprint of the target compounds is also explored. Finally, I wish that the participation on this European project will let me the opportunity to learn about the experience of other colleagues at many levels: from personal to research levels. Overall, I am willing to show you in the near future the advances achieved together!
Hello all! I am Ana-Maria, pharmacist. I graduated UMF in 2019 as valedictorian and
I am currently a Ph.D. student in the Analytical Chemistry Department, having a joint Ph.D. with the University of Antwerp.
As a student, I participated in various projects that implied voluntary work organized by other students from the Faculty of Pharmacy and in 2016 I started my research activity in the field of analytical chemistry as an undergraduate research assistant, working with the group of the Analytical Chemistry Department on screen printed electrodes modified with graphene-gold nanostructures composites for the electrochemical detection of vancomycin. In 2019, I had a research leave in the Analytical Chemistry Research Laboratory of University of Florence, where I contributed to the development of an optical biosensor for the detection of lactic acid.
My main activities as a research assistant in the BorderSens project include the design and characterization of surface modified electrodes, integration of the modified electrodes in electrochemical biosensors, data acquisition and analysis together with the results centralization in scientific reports.
Hello! My name is Florina Maria, pharmacist. I graduated UMF in 2019 and I am currently a Ph.D. student in the Analytical Chemistry Department.
In 2016 I started to work in the laboratory of Analytical Chemistry Department as a student and gained some experience with sensors and biosensors designed for neurotransmitters detection from real samples. In these three years, I also worked in a laboratory in Florence, Italy, where I had the opportunity to study the nanoparticles and their influences on neurotransmitters detection.
Since 2017 I had followed some educative programs in the leadership domain, named Leaders Explore and Experience. At the moment, I am involved in two start-ups as co-founder: TODY and Donescu. Because I want to continuously improve my skills and knowledge in the start-up’s domain, from the beginning of this year I am part of Cluj Startups team, which is an ONG that helps Romanian start-ups ecosystem to grow and facilitates the connection between startups founders, investors and corporates.
My main activities as a research assistant in the BorderSens project are the chemical and electrochemical synthesis of MIPs and other polymeric films, the development of nanoMIPs, data acquisition, and analysis together with the results centralization in scientific reports.