Expert Details
Blood-Biomaterial Interactions, Platelets, Platelet-Rich Plasma, Surface Analysis, Flow Cytometry, Neutron Reflectometry, and Lipid Biophysics
ID: 733508
Germany
His expertise includes the design of QCM instruments, as well as their applications in both nanoparticles and liposomes.
Expert has more than five years hands-on and leadership experience in the analysis of blood-biomaterial interactions, platelet activation at biomaterial surfaces, and platelet-leukocyte interactions. His expertise also includes:
• Hemocompatibility
• ISO10993-4
• Design of flow cytometry assays for analyzing platelet activation
• Blood handling (platelet isolation, red blood cell isolation, etc.)
• Blood cell analysis
He is an expert in liposome preparation and characterization. This expertise includes Phoshatidilserine, interactions with proteins, coagulation, and lipid asymmetry.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2000 | Degree: Ph.D. | Subject: Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Biophysics) | Institution: University of Groningen, the Netherlands |
| Year: 1996 | Degree: B.Sc. | Subject: Biochemistry | Institution: McMaster University, Onrario, Canada |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2013 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Groupleader | Department: Institute for Functional Interfaces |
Responsibilities:Established and led an independent research laboratory studying platelets, platelet activation, and their role in material hemocompatibility of vascular implants.Mentored Doctoral, Master, and undergraduate students. Organized conferences on blood-biomaterial interactions. Research group activities included the design of whole-blood, platelet-rich plasma, and purified platelet activation assays and microfluidic platelet secretion assays. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2006 to 2013 | Employer: CIC biomaGUNE | Title: Groupleader | Department: |
Responsibilities:Established and led an independent research group in the area of biological surfaces and interfaces with the focus on lipid assemblies and platelet-biomaterial interactionsOrganized institute-wide surface preparation and analysis facilities consisting of magnetron sputtering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy instruments Mentored Doctoral, Master, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral researchers; supervised technical assistants and facility managers. Organized educational workshops, taught practical courses on lipid handling and liposome preparation, atomic force microscopy, UHV surface analysis, quartz crystal microbalance; Group research activities included Developing surface-acoustic based methods for measuring sizes of surface-adsorbed particles, such as liposomes, in particular, their deformation upon adsorption Unraveling hydrodynamic mechanisms in surface-acoustic sensing Developing lectin-based platelet activation assay and demonstrating agonist-specific activation effects Establishing platelet activation selectivity at biomaterial surfaces and therefore developing the concept of “biomaterial as a platelet agonist." |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2006 | Employer: Clausthal University of Technology | Title: Postdoc | Department: Physical Chemistry |
Responsibilities:Shear-acoustic detection in laterally heterogeneous, ultrathin biomolecular films.The design of a combined AFM-QCM instrument. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2002 to 2004 | Employer: University of Houston | Title: Postdoc | Department: Chemical Engineering |
Responsibilities:In situ analysis of 3D protein crystal growth with high-resolution atomic force microscopy.The work involved soluble proteins (insulin) and transmembrane proteins (bacteriorhodopsin crystallized in cubo). Analysis of microscopy images of periodic (crystalline) and non-periodic (single particles) specimens (GRIP and EMAN software packages). |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2002 | Employer: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich | Title: Postdoc | Department: Materials |
Responsibilities:Lipid-surface interactions, nanopatterning of oxide surfaces and their characterization with ultra-high vacuum and "wet" surface-analytical methodologies such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy in liquid, and quartz crystal microbalance.Co-supervision of Doctoral and Master students. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1996 to 2000 | Employer: University of Groningen | Title: PhD student | Department: Biophysical Chemistry |
Responsibilities:Ultrahigh Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy of Biological Macromolecules and Their Assemblies in liquid.In situ analysis of lipid and membrane-bound protein crystallization dynamics with AFM. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 1992 to 1994 | Country / Region: Canada | Summary: Undergraduate student |
| Years: 1994 to 1995 | Country / Region: UK | Summary: Visiting student |
| Years: 1995 to 1996 | Country / Region: Canada | Summary: Undergraduate student |
| Years: 1996 to 2000 | Country / Region: the Netherlands | Summary: Doctoral (PhD) student |
| Years: 2000 to 2002 | Country / Region: Switzerland | Summary: Postdoc |
| Years: 2002 to 2004 | Country / Region: USA | Summary: Postdoc |
| Years: 2005 to 2006 | Country / Region: Germany | Summary: Postdoc |
| Years: 2006 to 2013 | Country / Region: Spain | Summary: Groupleader and Professor |
| Years: 2013 to 2016 | Country / Region: Germany | Summary: Groupleader |
| Years: 2009 to 2015 | Country / Region: France | Summary: Short Visits, neutron reflectometry experiments |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Physical Society Biophysical Society |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Affiliate Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington – Seattle, WA, USA. Editorial Board Member (Biological Physics) of Scientific Reports Member of Subcommittee 8 ‘Biology’ of the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), Grenoble, France. Review of neutron beamtime proposals Professor (part-time) a the Faculty of Engineering, the University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain Professor (part-time) at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Alexander von Humboldt Renewed Research Stay Fellowship (November 2012). Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (October 2005 – September 2006). 2001 Paper of the Year award from the Journal of Structural Biology. Ubbo Emmius Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Groningen (the Netherlands, 1996 – 2000). Poster Honorable Mention award at the Keck/GCC 2002 Bioinformatics Symposium (October 2002, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA). Conference Logo Contest winner for the Keck/GCC 2003 Annual Research Conference (October 2003, Clear Lake, Houston, TX, USA). |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Over 50 publications in international peer-reviewed journal in the areas of lipid biophysics, biological surface analysis, and biomedicine (focus on blood-biomaterial interactions). |
Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Numerous lectures and practical courses in the areas of surface analysis, atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microabalance, lipid biophysics, liposome preparation and characterization, etc. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| Selected surface analysis instruments, water purification for laboratories, flow cytometers, hematocounters, UV-Ozone cleaners, sputter coaters, fluorescence and and atomic force microscopes for purchase, |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Design and implementation of flow-cytometric platelet activation assays (whole blood, platelet-rich plasma, purified platelets). |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| English | Fluent (Near-native) |
| Russian | Fluent (Native) |
| German | Reading: B1, Speaking: A2; Writing: basic |
| Spanish | Speaking: basic |
Fields of Expertise
confocal microscopy, neutron reflectivity, quartz crystal device, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, secondary-ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chemical surface analysis, blood-wetted biomaterial, blood wetting, stent, fluorescence microscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry procedure, flow cytometry, blood analysis, blood-compatible material, blood platelet, blood coagulation, cytometry, blood, bioimplantable material, biocompatible material, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy, liposome, cell membrane biophysics, lecithin, phospholipid, research writing, proposal writing, technical writing