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Yu Zhou

I finished my Ph.D. training at the University of Groningen and RWTH Aachen University in 2021 with Prof. Andreas Herrmann. During that, I focused on using mechanical force to control protein activity and developing protein-based optical force sensors. Afterward, I moved É«É«À² University as a postdoc in Prof. Mauri Kostiainen's group. The goal of my research is to find an elegant way to combine the protein cages and the other synthetic materials for novel catalysis applications.

Carmine D'Amico 

I earned my MSc degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio in Chieti in 2020. Driven by a passion for innovation in drug delivery, I pursued a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Helsinki, working under the supervision of Prof. Hélder A. Santos. My doctoral research focused on developing polymeric microneedles for transdermal drug delivery and cancer vaccines, aiming to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of advanced therapies.

In December 2024, I joined the Biohybrid Materials Group as a postdoctoral researcher. My current work integrates synthetic and biological materials, with a strong emphasis on advancing cancer immunotherapy and vaccine technologies.

Donna McNeale

I completed my PhD at Griffith University (Australia) in 2023 with A/Prof. Frank Sainsbury. My doctoral research focused on the construction of functional hybrid nanostructures for studying virus capsid assembly and structure-activity relationship of encapsulated enzyme cascades. Afterward, I worked as a postdoc with Prof. Bernd Rehm in the Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, where my research focused on the design and production of novel core-shell biomaterials for applications in health and industry.  In January 2025, I joined Prof. Mauri Kostiainen and the BiHy group, where I will contribute to the development of mRNA gene delivery platforms.

Johannes Parikka

After completing my BSc and MSc studies in physical chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä, I changed to the group of Prof. Jussi Toppari (Department of Physics, JYU) for my PhD degree. I worked with DNA origami, mainly surface-assisted assembly of origami lattices on silicon and I’m currently finalizing my PhD thesis. In March 2025, I joined the Biohybrid Materials Group as a visiting doctoral researcher/PostDoc. My main project is about DNA sensing with logic gates in microfluidic systems.

Sharon Saarinen

I studied in the Life Science Technology Master’s programme in Aalto University with Biosystems and Biomaterials engineering as my major. I’ve also completed my BSc in Bioinformation technology in Aalto with chemistry as my minor. I first joined the BiHy group in May 2021 as a summer intern, and now I’m doing my PhD thesis about encapsulating RNA/DNA hybrid origamis.

Agnes Zerolová

I finished my BSc. degree in Nanotechnology from Technical University of Liberec (Czechia). During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to do an internship at J. Heyrovsky Institute of CAS (Czechia), where I was working on DNA origami research for 4 years. I obtained my MSc. degree in Nanotechnology from Technical University of Liberec (Czechia), which focused on DNA origami nanostructures for applications in medicine. I joined the BiHy group in autumn 2023 as a PhD student. My research focuses on DNA based hybrid nanopore devices.

Eeva Enlund

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with a major in Bioproducts. In May 2022, I joined the Biohybrid materials group as a summer trainee and continued as a part-time research assistant during my Master’s studies in Biotechnology at Aalto University. I also conducted my Master’s thesis with the group. I started my PhD in the group in the spring of 2024, focusing on DNA origami stability and coating.

Pietari Peussa

I completed both my B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering and my M.Sc. degree in the Chemical, Biochemical and Materials Engineering programme at Aalto University. During my Master’s studies, I majored in Chemistry. I joined the Biohybrid Materials group in 2025 as a doctoral researcher. My research focuses on macrocycles, azobenzenes, and host–guest chemistry.

Maria Rodriguez 

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Aalto University in 2023, where I majored in bioproducts. I continued my Master’s studies in the biotechnology major and I am expecting to finish my Master’s degree in autumn 2025. I joined the BiHy group as a Master’s thesis student in February 2025.
 

Elmo Eskelinen

I completed my Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at Aalto University in 2024. Currently I’m studying in the Life Science Technologies Master’s program at Aalto, majoring in Biosystems Engineering. I joined BiHy in May of 2025 as a Master’s Thesis student, aiming to finish my thesis in autumn 2025.

Juuso Puolakka 

I completed my Bachelor's degree in 2024 at the School of Chemical Engineering, majoring in Bioproducts. I then continued my studies at Aalto University in the Master’s Programme in Life Science Technologies, with a major in Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering. I joined the Biohybrid Materials team as a Master's thesis student in May 2025 and aim to complete my Master's degree in the fall of 2025.