Our research

Yingxi Long, M.Sc.

My name is Yingxi Long; you can call me Sissie, and I am from China. I obtained my master’s degree in biological sciences and my bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. My master’s project focused on biosensor development and fabrication for various biomarker detection. There, I acquired interdisciplinary knowledge, including the synthesis and modification of micro- and nanomaterials, molecular biology, and electrochemistry. Throughout my research, I contributed to the transformation of experimental results into research articles, where I participated in the publication of five research papers in the fields of biotechnology and biosensors, covering topics such as multiplexed protein detection and cervical cancer screening using paper-based microfluidics, as well as the development of optical sensors integrated with nucleic acid amplification technologies. Through continuous practice and learning, I have developed a strong interest in developing transformable biosensors for point-of-care cancer detection. I am excited to join the STRIM project, where I am responsible for developing clinically validated bioelectronic assays on magnetic beads targeting PTM biomarkers for real-time cancer monitoring. I look forward to collaborating with other scientists to develop an innovative platform for early multi-cancer detection..

Ewa Bieniasz, M.Sc.

My name is Ewa, and I am originally from Poland. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Forensic Toxicology at the University of Wroclaw, followed by a Master’s degree in Radiogenomics at the University of Warsaw. During my studies, I developed a strong interest in electrochemistry and chemical sensors, which began during my Erasmus+ internship at the University of Ljubljana. There, I worked on the development of a voltammetric sensor for microplastic detection, combining environmental and analytical chemistry. This experience led me to join the research team at Malmö University in Sweden, where I contributed to a project focused on electrochemical sensors for detecting pregnancy hormones.In April 2025, I started my PhD as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie STRIM Network, under the supervision of Professor Forster. My research focuses on developing ultrasensitive biosensors for the detection of methylated DNA cancer biomarkers using direct electrochemiluminescence. I am excited to be part of this interdisciplinary and international network, where I can further explore sensor technologies with impactful applications in early cancer detection.

Francesco Petrini, M.Sc.

My name is Francesco, and I am originally from Italy. I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Material Chemistry at the University of Bologna. During my studies, I joined the Erasmus+ Traineeship and worked at Wageningen University and Research in the BioNanoTechnology group, where I developed a 3D-printed cell for electrochemiluminescence experiments and learned the fundamentals of microfluidics. I received my Master’s Degree in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials at the University of Bologna in September 2025, after spending five months as an Erasmus+ Traineeship intern at Université Paris Cité in the PIXEL group, where I investigated electrochemiluminescence mechanisms through finite element simulations on a novel system designed for ECL generation. These experiences and the focus of my studies sparked my interest in electrochemiluminescence and its cutting-edge applications for detecting and quantifying biomarkers linked to diverse pathological conditions, including cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cardiac events. I will begin my PhD as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie STRIM Network, under the supervision of Professor Forster, in October 2025. My research will focus on developing a high-throughput multi-analyte microfluidics device for the detection of methylated DNA cancer biomarkers, giving me the opportunity to combine the various techniques I explored throughout my two traineeships. I am excited to be part of such an international and interdisciplinary doctoral network, where I will collaborate with other scientists to develop an innovative multiplexing device to be tested on real patient samples.

Alessandra Martucci, M.Sc.

My name is Alessandra Martucci, and I am an Italian biologist and registered nutritionist with a strong passion for translational research. I earned my MSc with honors in Human Nutrition from the University of Naples Federico II, where I explored the intersection of nutrition, immunology, and oncology. During my academic journey, I completed a thesis internship at the Institute of Endocrinology and Molecular Oncology (IEOMI-CNR) in Naples, gaining hands-on experience in molecular and cellular biology. A subsequent traineeship in Canada allowed me to deepen my skills in proteomic and bioinformatic analyses within an international research environment. Following graduation, I was awarded a post-graduate research fellowship at the University Hospital Federico II, further enhancing my clinical and research competencies. These experiences have solidified my commitment to advancing knowledge in molecular oncology. I am eager to join the MSCA PhD program, where I can contribute my expertise and continue to grow within a dynamic and interdisciplinary research community.

Desiré Rivera Borges, M.Sc.

I am Desiré Rivera Borges, a chemical engineer from the island of Puerto Rico with a passion for research, science communication, and education accessibility. During my academic career, I obtained my Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico – Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez, where I contributed to an on-campus research project for two years and completed four summer research internships across academic and industrial laboratories in the United States. These projects spanned topics including biomaterials, neurological biosensors, CarT cell therapy, cancer tumor stiffness, oligonucleotide synthesis, and protein fermentation. Additionally, I have 18 months of work experience as a process engineer in the biopharmaceutical industry. I have also led two volunteer groups in my community: one group ensured food security for university students, while the other developed nuclear science communication and education programs. As the Marie Skłodowska-Curie STRIM Network’s translational objectives align with my own, I am eager to contribute to advances in cancer screening technologies as I complete my PhD under the guidance of Dr. María Jesús Lobo-Castañón at the University of Oviedo.

Ma’ruf Mamanazarov, M.Sc.

My name is Ma’ruf, and I’m originally from Uzbekistan. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Physics at the Termez State University and my Master’s degree in Physics at the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. I have 20 months of experience as a nanotubes and graphene nanomaterials researcher at the Arifov Institute of Ion-Plasma and Laser Technologies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. During my academic career, I attended summer research internships and workshops at the ETH Zurich and the University of Cambridge. There, I investigated the unique fast-forward of dynamics of nanosystems, laser ablation techniques and laser light absorption in condensed matter and materials, integrating numerical simulations on innovative systems developed for nanomaterials. My research will focus on advancing femtosecond laser ablation techniques for nanopatterning gold electrode surfaces and on developing nanopatterned PEDOT electrodes for biosensor microarrays aimed at electrochemical cancer detection, building on the experience gained during my two previous experiences. My PhD in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie STRIM Network, under the supervision of Professor Chichkov. Specifically, my research will continue to improve upon femtosecond laser ablation for nanopatterning, especially of gold electrode surfaces, and the production of these nanopatterned PEDOT electrodes in biosensor microarrays targeting electrochemical cancer detection. I am excited to be part of such an international and interdisciplinary doctoral network and an interdisciplinary group of PhD fellows, working alongside other researchers in the field.

Tuba Arif, M.Sc.

My name is Tuba Arif. I am from Pakistan, and I am pursuing a PhD at the University of Oslo in collaboration with Zimmer & Peacock AS. My fascination with biotechnology began in high school, where I quickly realized that creativity and innovation are at the heart of this discipline. I knew what I wanted to pursue in life. Creativity? Biotechnology! This passion led me to pursue a BS (Hon) in Biotechnology from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan. In 2019, I was awarded the Türkiye Scholarship, which provided me the opportunity to seek an MS in Basic Biotechnology at Ankara University in Turkey. Cancer early detection and prevention has remained my priority as a researcher. A personal loss within my circle to late-stage diagnosis deeply motivated me to focus my research on developing portable, cost-effective, sensitive/efficient devices in the field of cancer diagnosis, reducing the public’s dependency on centralized healthcare and ensuring rapid diagnosis. My passion has driven me to work on a TÜBİTAK-funded project aimed at developing an electrochemical-based portable biosensor to detect lung cancer stem cell biomarkers. Additionally, I also developed a molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor to detect Ibrutinib in human for better treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma, during my master’s degree. I am excited to be part of the STRIM Project and Zimmer & Peacock, collaborating with fellow scientists to develop innovative platforms that have the potential to revolutionize early multi-cancer detection.

Kelma Jean, M.Sc.

Kelma is originally from Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. She earned a BSc in Medical Sciences at the University of Exeter in the UK, which nurtured her interest in Women’s Health research. She then completed three internships: as a research assistant on a perinatal mental health project at the University of Exeter, a Communications Intern at the scientific journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM), and a Health Writer and Editor at Klarity, a health tech company. These experiences led her to pursue an MMSc in Global Health at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, where she contributed to the ALERT research project in Tanzania for her thesis and later worked with them as a research assistant. She was also active in Synapse Sweden. After graduating, she joined the Nova Global Top Talent Network and worked at Alcimed in Germany as a Business Development Manager and Healthcare Consultant for pharmaceutical companies. Kelma is happy to have started her PhD at Erasmus MC as part of the STRIM Network, under the supervision of Esther Toes-Zoutendijk and Harry de Koning, and is looking forward to collaborating with all the other researchers. Her research will focus on understanding the social aspects of cancer screening, particularly related to patient preferences.

Kay Rimalos, M.Sc.

My name is Kay, and I am originally from the Philippines. I earned my BSc in Applied Physics from the University of the Philippines – Manila and obtained my Master’s degree in Medical Physics at RMIT University in Australia. During my studies, I completed a radiotherapy medical physics internship and conducted a research project in collaboration with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on radiotherapy treatment guidelines. These experiences sparked my interest in health research focused on supporting evidence-based policies and guidelines to improve cancer care and prevention. This interest led me to work as a Modelling Research Assistant at the Daffodil Centre and the University of Sydney. There, I contributed to microsimulation modelling projects evaluating the benefits, harms, and cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening strategies to inform health policies in high-income countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the UK. In May 2025, I began my PhD at Erasmus MC under the supervision of Prof. Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar and Duco Mulder. My research focuses on microsimulation modelling and cost-effectiveness analysis of pan-cancer screening scenarios. I am excited to be part of the MSCA STRIM network, and I look forward to collaborating with others to explore the potential of emerging tools in cancer screening.

Beatrice Drago, M.Sc.

My name is Beatrice, and I am originally from Italy. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and my Master’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Turin. During my studies, I first gained experience in a bioinformatics laboratory, where I worked on the computational analysis of genomic data. I later joined the Molecular Modelling for Drug Design group at the Department of Drug Science and Technology, where I carried out my Master’s thesis and subsequently held a post-graduate research fellowship. During this experience, I focused on molecular modelling and dynamics simulations applied to drug discovery, enhancing my understanding of protein structure and interactions. I have a strong interest in scientific research, molecular biology, and proteomics, and I am particularly motivated to integrate computational and experimental approaches to study biological systems at the molecular level.
As part of the STRIM PhD network, my project focuses on the molecular modelling of aberrant glycosylations and their role in cancer, aiming to identify and characterize glycoprotein targets suitable for aptamer-based recognition. I am excited to contribute to this interdisciplinary project to advance our understanding of PTMs in cancer and support the development of innovative diagnostic tools.

Alessia Campo, M.Sc.

I’m Alessia and I am originally from Italy. In June 2025 I joined the Cancer Structural Biology Group in Copenhagen as a PhD student and as part of the STRIM Network. I hold a master’s degree in bioinformatics at the University of Bologna, and I have experience working as a bioinformatics software developer. My academic and professional background reflects a strong passion for using computational tools to study proteins and uncover the molecular mechanisms behind cancer. Over the next years, I will be working on integration of proteomics and glycoproteomic data within a computational framework developed by the CSB group- for the prediction of cancer driver genes and biomarkers. I will perform in-depth study of proteins aberrant PTMs and their role in cancer hallmarks. I’m eager to connect, collaborate, and learn from all the scientist part of this network and contribute to impactful research.

Bogdana Đorđević, M.Sc

Bogdana joined STRIM as a part of the Department of Nano-Microsystems for Life Sciences at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). She obtained both her MSc and BSc degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computing from School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Belgrade, Serbia and she also studied Electrochemical Engineering at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Her educational background is in semiconductors and sensors as well as materials and electrochemical methods. During her studies she was an undergraduate teaching assistant where she guided students through their practical laboratory assignments in courses Elements of Electronic Devices and Sensors and Actuators. Further, she was a junior associate at the Petnica Science Center where she organized daily activities of the Chemistry seminar for high school students, assessed their progress and guided them in the laboratory exercises and practice problems. She completed her master’s thesis in collaboration with the Group for biomedical engineering and nanobiotechnology at the Institute of Technical Sciences of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which is titled: Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of chromium (III) oxide nanoparticles for applications in biomedicine. Additionally, during her master’s she did an internship at the Department of Nano-Microsystems for Life Sciences at HZDR, where she worked on developing flexible electrodes for in-vivo measurement of lactate.