Current members

Armin is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering (EPB) of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he established and leads the BioMatter lab. His research focuses on biomaterials for tissue engineering and biochemical engineering, with a particular emphasis on valorizing biomass materials for biomedical applications. Before joining ULB in 2018, Armin conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Otago in New Zealand, collaborating with Lincoln University (NZ) and Deakin University (Australia). He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Otago in 2017 for his research on bone scaffolds generated from waste marine shells. Armin holds a Master of Chemical Engineering from the University of Putra Malaysia.

Email

Linkedin

Lei Nie completed his Ph.D. in 2013 at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, followed by postdoctoral training at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Free University of Berlin. Since 2017, he has been an independent principal investigator at Xinyang Normal University, China. He developed his expertise in 3D bioprinting during his research period at KU Leuven in 2019 and has since collaborated with the BioMatter lab at ULB. His research focuses on biopolymers, drug delivery, nanoparticles, and tissue engineering.

Email

Linkedin

Wei Guo received her Ph.D. in Biology from Wuhan University in 2021 and then began her research in Xinyang Normal University.

Her main research interests include biomedical functional hydrogels, drug delivery, and tissue engineering, and she is currently a visiting professor at the BioMatter Laboratory.

Oseweuba completed his Ph.D. at the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2019, where his research focused on the design of systems that can facilitate the production of biomaterials, biochemicals, and bioenergy from renewable carbon resources. He is a Senior Researcher at the BioMatter research unit, at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Process/Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University, South Africa where he explored the modeling of biorefinery systems. He has also previously worked as a Research Fellow in the Energy Technology Unit at, the University of Otago, New Zealand. His main research interests include circular economy, biomaterial development, process design, chemical Engineering, and biorefinery design.

Web page

Hafez received his bachelor’s in Polymer Engineering from Tehran University, Iran, and moved on to pursue a master’s in Bioengineering (Tissue Engineering) from Tehran University. During his master’s, he worked in the fields of bone tissue engineering. Hafez did his Ph.D. at BioMatter from 2019- 2023 on developing 3-dimensional anti-infectious hydrogels with adhesive properties for skin wound healing application. He was granted a BOF postdoctoral fellowship in 2023 to join Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Research Group at Ghent University. He is now doing his postdoc at BioMatter working on a proof of concept project funded by innoviris.

Email

Linkedin

Lisa holds a master’s degree in chemistry – Formulation and Surface Treatments (University of Franche-Comté) and a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering & Biomaterials (Université Sorbonne Paris Nord). She conducted research at Inserm U1121 (Strasbourg) on the development of multifunctional hydrogels for wound healing, and at the UTINAM Institute (Besançon) on conductive hydrogels for the controlled release of active compounds. Her expertise includes biomaterial formulation, physicochemical and biological characterization, and modeling of complex systems. As part of her PhD in BioMatter, she is developing a novel 3D bioprinted colorectal polyp model integrating perfusable blood vessels, biomimetic lymphatic channels, and microbiota. This system aims to faithfully replicate the tumor microenvironment to study colorectal cancer progression and to test innovative therapeutic agents

Feyza earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in chemical engineering from Middle East Technical University. Her master’s thesis focused on understanding the fouling behavior of nanoparticles during ultrafiltration in organic solvents. She is currently pursuing Ph.D at BioMatter on biomass valorization

Saba completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in Biomaterials at Azad University of Najaf Abad in 2021. She then earned her Master’s degree in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering from University College London, graduating in 2023. In May 2025, she began her PhD at BioMatter, where she focuses on the development of Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) for bone tissue engineering.

Aysen obtained her Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Science degrees in chemical engineering in Iran. Then, she accomplished her joint master’s degree in chemical and materials engineering with a specialization in Materials science from VUB/ULB universities (BRUFACE program) in Belgium. She continued her studies as a Ph.D. student in the field of polymer science (biopolymers), since biomaterials science is her interest. Her research field study is associated with biomaterial ink development using biobased polymer networks. This project is performed in collaboration between VUB-FYSC and ULB-BIOMATTER universities.

Email

Linkedin

Man Li received her bachelor’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy and master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Henan University of Chinese Medicine (China). Her master’s thesis was nanoparticle preparation and its application to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Her Ph.D. project will be on developing an intelligent responsive composite hydrogel containing nanozyme for the potential healing of wounds.

Email

Linkedin

Qianqian studied for her bachelor’s and master’s at the College of Life Science of Xinyang Normal University, China. During her master’s, she was interested in multifunctional hydrogel biomaterials as dressings for wound healing. Then, she joined the BioMatter (ULB, Solbosch) lab to pursue her PhD study in the field of wound monitoring which benefits from providing correct diagnosis and treatment decisions for wound repair via timely and accurate assessment of wounds during the wound healing process, especially chronic wounds.

Email

Linkedin

Rezvan completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Safety Engineering – Technical Inspection at the Petroleum University of Technology (PUT) in Iran, where his Master’s thesis focused on developing smart anticorrosion coatings using MOF-based hybrid materials. Before joining BioMatter, he conducted research on protective coatings, sustainable materials, and corrosion prevention. Currently, his PhD focuses on developing modular and mobile biorefinery systems for valorizing by-products and wastes from fisheries and aquaculture SMEs. The goal is to design scalable solutions that convert marine biomass into bio-based value-added products, thereby supporting sustainable industrial practices and advancing the circular bioeconomy.

Amir completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Cell and Molecular Biology at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. His master’s thesis focused on developing and evaluating multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted chemo/radio/gene cancer theranostics. He is now pursuing a Ph.D. at ULB, where his project is about developing intelligent vesicles to target hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment, with the goal of enhancing imaging precision and therapeutic effectiveness in cancer treatment

Ruth Osakpamwan is a Master’s student in Biomedical Surface Science at Malmö University in Sweden. She previously obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine from the University of Skövde, Sweden, where her undergraduate thesis focused on the discovery of disease-causing genes in rare genetic disorders using whole-exome sequencing analysis. Her subsequent research focused on evaluating 3D-reconstructed human bronchial epithelium as a non-animal model for pulmonary drug permeation studies. She is currently conducting an exchange research project at Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, where she studies bacterial cellulose production under spatial confinement in cross-linked CMC hydrogel droplets. Her research interests include biomaterials, engineered biological materials, and advanced in vitro models for biomedical applications

Amir Salar received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Isfahan University and his master’s degree in Polymer Engineering from Tehran University. During his master’s studies, he focused on developing conductive nanocomposites based on polymethyl methacrylate, investigating their conductive and structural properties. He then worked as an R&D engineer at Pars Nasim Company, gaining practical experience in material development. Last year, he moved to Brussels to further his academic career by pursuing a Master of Management. He subsequently joined the BioMatter Lab (ULB, Solbosch), where his work centers on designing and testing innovative biomaterials, including biomaterial inks based on chitosan.

Suzy Martinez completed her B.Sc. in medical biology and biotechnology engineering at the University Institute of Technology in Toulon, France. She is currently a master’s student in biology, biotechnology and bioprocesses engineering at Polytech Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Auvergne INP, France. At present, she is carrying out a 22-week internship at the 3BIO-Biomatter Lab, ULB, working on the subject: Mechanistic study of platinum-gold nanoparticles in vitro and on a 3D model for cancer theranostics.

Julian Sluiters graduated with a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Université Libre de Bruxelles and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.  At BioMatter, Julian is working on his thesis on the production of bio-oil from industrial waste via solvothermal liquefaction. The research investigates the impact of water-ethanol solvent compositions and reaction severity on oil yield and energy recovery.

Mandana holds both BSc and MSc degrees in Materials Engineering. She completed her Master’s studies at the University of Tabriz, where her thesis was entitled: “Study of corrosion and oxidation properties of conventional and nanostructured tungsten carbide composite coatings with cobalt.”

Following her MSc, she remained engaged in academic activities alongside her professional work in industry. This ongoing involvement eventually led her to join the BioMatter research group at ULB as a researcher. Her current projects include the development of Janus wound dressings by incorporating physical gradients in addition to existing chemical gradients, as well as a separate research line focused on the synthesis and evaluation of enzyme-mimetic nanoparticles for biofunctional applications

I am a chemical engineering student, currently in my second year at the École de Chimie de Lille, following two years of preparatory classes in physics and chemistry. I am specializing in sustainable chemistry and industrial processes.

As part of my studies, I am completing a 17-week internship at the 3BIO – Biomatter laboratory at ULB, focusing on biomass valorization and process analysis. My work is part of projects aimed at converting end-of-life waste into value-added products, particularly through biocrude production and bioelectrode development.

I contribute to experimental activities by preparing raw materials and characterizing the resulting products

After two years of preparatory class at ECPM Strasbourg (France), Sanae is currently a fourth-year student in Chemical Engineering at INSA Rouen Normandie (France). She is going to specialize in polymer materials.

Now, she is carrying out a 17-week internship at the 3BIO-Biomatter Lab, ULB, working on the subject: Sacrificial bioinks for 3D-bioprinting.

I am a chemical engineering student, currently in my second year at the École de Chimie de Lille, following two years of preparatory classes in physics and chemistry. I am specializing in sustainable chemistry and industrial processes.

As part of my studies, I am completing a 17-week internship at the 3BIO – Biomatter laboratory at ULB, focusing on biomass valorization and process analysis. My work is part of projects aimed at converting end-of-life waste into value-added products, particularly through biocrude production and bioelectrode development.

I contribute to experimental activities by preparing raw materials and characterizing the resulting products

Houman Alimoradi is an experienced researcher in pharmacology and toxicology and his research mainly focuses on the controlled modulation of nitric oxide (NO; an important signalling molecule in biology) level in pathophysiological conditions using advanced biomaterials. He Studied medical toxicology at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and completed a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology (specializing in medicinal chemistry) at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Houman has extensive previous successful international mobility, interdisciplinary, intersectoral experience and working both in the industry and academia, including working as a lecturer, postdoctoral fellow and R&D Manager at pharmaceutical companies. He is working on the development of O₂/NO-releasing biomaterials for wound dressing applications.

Email

Linkedin