Group leader
I started my Tenure Track position at the University of Twente in 2020. My interdisciplinary research group currently consists of researchers with a background in Chemistry, Chemical engineering, Computational physics and Mathematics. Together we aim to develop a crucial experimental stepping stone to gear current design efforts in chemical reaction networks (CRNs)—interconnected webs of chemical reactions—into the direction of neuromorphic systems. Overall, I'm very much interested in exploring and demonstrating the operating principles in networks of interacting molecules under out-of-equilibrium conditions.
See my CV for further information.
RESEARCHERS
I've been a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Twente since October, where I focus on using hypergraphs to model chemical reactions. I’m originally from Brazil and I bring a background in complex science (chaos and complex networks), machine learning, and control theory to my research. My interests extend beyond my academic pursuits, and I enjoy learning new things and incorporating them into my life and work. I believe that this background provides me with a unique perspective to explore real complex systems, such as chemical reactions, neuroscience, social science, metascience, and many other systems with amazing emergent behaviors.
Hi! My name is Yanna, and I am an applied mathematician. Since September 2022, I am employed as a PhD candidate at the University of Twente, on the topic of Chemical Reaction Networks. My expertise lies in network science; I am intrigued by the beauty of networks and their effectiveness in uncovering structures. Within this project, I will therefore focus on establishing a connection between chemical reactions and mathematical networks and on discovering interesting properties of these networks. I am excited to contribute to this pioneering research.
My name is Hazal. I am a second-year PhD candidate in the Department of Molecules and Materials at UTwente. I have completed both my bachelor's (Turkey) and master's (Czech Republic) studies in chemical engineering. I gained experience in the design and fabrication of microfluidic systems during my master's. Currently, I am focusing on designing reactive surfaces using different functionalization methods in microfluidic devices, which allows us to study chemical feedback on surfaces.
Dmitrii Kriukov joined our lab as a Ph. D. student in September 2020. He graduated for his M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at the Moscow State University (MSU) in Russia. Dmitrii's research focuses on understanding how CRNs can respond to changes in gradients. His recently published work demonstrates that a simple three-component CRN, under out-of-equilibrium conditions, is already capable of history-dependent functions (i.e., essential property for neuromorphic computing).
I am Salma, a student from the MSc in Molecular & Materials Engineering. I joined the group and began my research in February 2023 as part of my final assignment. My work focuses on the design of thioester-triggered biocompatible hydrogels, an interdisciplinary project that combines my knowledge in chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering. I obtained my bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering in Mexico, where I discovered my passion and became motivated to pursue a master's degree eager to learn and do more.
In the future, I hope I can contribute to making a positive impact on society through research, and I am excited to acquire from this project the necessary tools to do so, while gaining insights into the design and function of complex systems through chemical reaction networks and how to implement this in the biomedical field. I am always willing to learn from others and hope to bring ideas from a different perspective.