Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar 2025-Dr. Dimitris Missirlis (Ιnstitute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM), University of Heidelberg, Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany)

Abstract

In this talk, I will first briefly present my past contributions in the field of (nano)biomaterial design, cell-microenvironment interactions and cell mechanobiology. I will then present in more detail two ongoing projects dealing with 1) retinal drug delivery and 2) ultrasound stimulation of cells. I will conclude with an outlook of future plans, including projects in ultrasound-assisted assembly for organoid/tissue engineering applications and the study of nanomedicine delivery.

Speakers Short CV

Dr. Dimitris Missirlis obtained his Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the University of Patras in 2001 and then started his PhD in the group of Prof. J. Hubbell at the ETHZ in Zurich, Switzerland. He obtained his PhD degree (D.Sc.) in the field of nanoparticle-assisted drug delivery in 2005 from EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland), where the group moved in 2004. In 2006, Dr. Missirlis joined the group of Prof. M. Tirrell at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he worked on peptide self-assembly systems. In 2009, he moved to UC, Berkeley for 1 year. He was awarded both a Marie Curie IF and a CellNetworks fellowship to join the group of Prof. J. Spatz at the University of Heidelberg in 2010. From 2013 until 2022 he worked at the Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems and later of Medical Research as an independent researcher in the department of Cellular Biophysics. His research covered a broad range of topics, including biomaterials design, mechanobiology and cell-material interactions. Since 2023 he works at the University of Heidelberg and the MPI for Medical Research in the group of Prof. P. Fischer where he overlooks projects that aim to bring novel technologies towards clinical practice.