2025 Materials Science Lecture series - ‘Smart’ polymeric systems for biomedical applications
We are excited to invite you to the upcoming lecture "‘Smart’ polymeric systems for biomedical applications", presented by Prof. Arn Mignon.
His expertise spans synthesis of new smart polymers and stimuli-responsive polymersomes for biomedical applications such as healing of burn wounds and diabetic ulcers, flexor tendon repair, dental implants, support structures for new aortic valves, and the processing of these polymers through different additive manufacturing techniques with a main focus on electrospinning. Within this presentation, he will discuss more about his ongoing research work in this direction.
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/mma-ixfn-csb
Or dial: +32 2 896 37 15 PIN: 154 043 903#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/mma-ixfn-csb?pin=3010203556322
This event has already taken place.
The Smart Polymeric Biomaterials Research group focuses on the development of stimuli-responsive polymers for a variety of applications such as healing of burn wounds and diabetic ulcers, flexor tendon repair, new aortic valve support structures, dental implants and controlled drug release for inflammatory bowel disease. The synthesized polymers are being processed into either nanofiber through electrospinning and melt electrowriting or into nanoparticles such as polymersomes. By introducing the response to external stimuli such as pH, temperature, enzymes, reactive oxygen species, etc., a control can be made over drug release from the nanoparticles or swelling of the nanofibers. Within this presentation, I plan to describe in more detail the work that has been done on this research.
About our guest
Arn graduated as master of science in Chemical Engineering at Ghent University. He graduated his PhD in 2016, whereafter he obtained a FWO postdoctoral fellowship. He has worked during his PhD and postdoctoral fellowship on creating stimuli-responsive polymers for different applications. Prior to this, he has worked for 9 months on an INTERREG project. In that period, he has gathered extensive expertise on polymer synthesis, nanoparticle synthesis, processing (electrospinning) and characterization (physico-chemical, thermal, mechanical, visual) and gained hands-on experience with imaging techniques for in vitro characterization of biomaterials. Since 2020, he has started as assistant professor at the faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven, focusing his time 50% on educational activities and 50% on research. The focus of his research for the coming years lies in the synthesis of new smart polymers and stimuli-responsive polymersomes for biomedical applications (healing of burn wounds and diabetic ulcers, flexor tendon repair, dental implants, support structures for new aortic valves) and the processing of these polymers through different additive manufacturing techniques with a main focus on electrospinning. His group is now consisting of 7 PhD students (of which 4 as main promotor), 2 joint PhDs with UGent and two shared postdoctoral researchers. He has (co)authored 44 journal publications and is co-owner of 2 patents.
