
My name is Laura Alvarez (1989, Vigo, Spain). As a Soft Matter researcher, I have always been intrigued by the physical-chemical aspects of colloidal particles and the use of such systems in real-life applications. Specifically, I am interested in using microscope objects to mimic biological behaviors and study their complex interactions to develop new smart materials. During my early-stage research career, I have tried to understand the self-​dynamics and interaction of passive rod-like colloidal particles in biological-inspired crowded environments. Along the same conceptual line, my next step was to direct my attention to active colloids and their broad applications at a fundamental and practical level, which I have been exploring in Lucio Isa’s group as a Postdoc and as principal investigator of my own project. The creation of programmable artificial microswimmers capable of reproducing some of the sophisticated biological dynamics opens up a spectrum of possibilities for new smart bioinspired materials.
As a Tenure Track at the University of Bordeaux since January 2022, I continue to pursue an efficient combination of existing methodologies with innovative ideas that enable the study of out-of-equilibrium systems towards real-life applications such as drug delivery and bio-​manipulation, and the confection of artificial cells integrating colloidal structures. Overall, I am fascinated about understanding the small details to tackle the current challenges on a bigger scale.
I am also a rugby player (longer than I was a scientist). I am very involved in artistic experimentation and scientific outreach through art, and I am a strong advocate for mental health and equality/inclusion in general (and in academia in particular).
CAREER
2024-now: ECIS (European Colloidal and Interfacial Science) Scientific committee member.
2023- now: ESA (European Space Agency) consultant for Soft Matter and Biophysics FDT.
2022-now: Assistant. Professor (Tenure Track). University of Bordeaux.
2020-2021: SNSF Spark Postdoctoral Fellow. ETH Zurich - Department of Materials
2017-2020: Postdoctoral fellow ETH Zurich - Department of Materials
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SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2023: DLR Microgravity experiments support (DLR, HHU, Uni. Bordeaux). Scientific partner.
2024: ANR-PRCI DFG (CRPP-HHU). Scientific partner.
2023: Awarded France-Berkeley Fund collaboration grant. Collaboration with Assist. Prof. Grigory Tikhomirov.
2023: Awarded ANR JCJC project grant 'Cell Mimetic active systems' as main PI.
2022: Contributor to ANR Collaborative Project 'Activity Control Matter' (Coor: Prof. Baret)
2022: Junior Chair candidate, University of Bordeaux.
2020: Poster Prize in the SPP Microswimmers conference, Julich, GE.
2020: Winner of the scientific picture contest, ETH Zurich, CH.
2020: Spark grant - Swiss National Science Foundation: ETH Zurich, CH.
2018: Scholarship as an invited participant at The Rising Stars Asian, Hong Kong, a workshop for future leaders in STEM and engineering.
2013-2016: IdEX Scholarship Initiative of Excellence, University of Bordeaux (FR).
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SELECTED INVITED PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS
• Invited speaker at workshop ‘"Out-of-equilibrium phenomena in the presence of curvature and non-reciprocal interactions" (CH) 2024:
• Invited speaker at CECAM workshop ‘Out-of-equilibrium Soft Matter’ – (UK) 2024
• Chair women in the active matter session at ISMC - Osaka (JP) 2023:
Invited speaker at the Chemistry-Biology Interface Day (CBID 2023) – Bordeaux (FR)
• Invited Speaker to the ITN Workshop - EvoDrops. Bordeaux, France (2023)
• Invited Speaker to the Workshop 'Hydrodynamics at Low Reynolds number'. Bordeaux, France (2023)
• Discussion Leader. Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolytes Solutions Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), Ventura, California (2022)
• Invited speaker at the Minsymposium on "Active Assemblies". Leipzig, Germany (2022)
https://home.uni-leipzig.de/~physik/sites/active-assemblies/
• Invited speaker at the Physics of Life Summer School. Edinburgh. United Kingdom (2022)
https://www.physicsoflife.org.uk/physics-of-life-summer-school-2022.html
•Invited speaker at the Materials Colloquium. Department of Materials, ETH Zurich. Switzerland. (2020)
https://sam.mat.ethz.ch/2020/11/20/laura_alvarez/
• Invited seminar speaker at the Max Plank Institute for Dynamics and Self–Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany (2020)
• Invited speaker at The Rising Stars Asian. Asian Dean’s Forum Workshop, Hong Kong (2018)
https://risingstarsasia2018.ust.hk/participants_detail.php?id=46
• Invited speaker to the Institute of Photonics Science (ICFO), Castelldefels, Spain. (2017)
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EDUCATION
2013-2016 Joint Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
Title: ‘Dynamics and self-organization of liquid crystalline mesophases of rod-like viruses’
Department of Chemistry, University of Bordeaux (UB, France) and KU Leuven (Belgium)
Ph.D. Supervisors: Prof.Pavlik Letting, Dr. Eric Grelet.
2011-2012 M.Sc. in Colloidal Science and Interfaces (1-year graduate including a research internship)
Title: ‘Development of a Versatile Gold nanoprobe for ultrasensitive detection of antigens by Immuno-PCR’
Department of Chemistry, University of Vigo, SP
Master internship Supervisors: Prof. Isabel Pastoriza, and Prof. Jorge Perez Juste.
2007-2011 B.Sc. in Chemistry (5-year undergraduate including a research semester)
Department of Chemistry, University of Vigo, SP