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My name is Laura Alvarez (1989, Vigo, Spain). As a Soft Matter researcher, I have always been intrigued by the physicochemical behavior of colloidal particles and their potential in real-life applications. I am particularly interested in using microscopic objects to mimic biological functions and study their complex interactions to design new smart, bioinspired materials. During the early stages of my research career, I focused on understanding the self-dynamics and interactions of passive rod-like colloidal particles in biologically inspired crowded environments. Following the same conceptual path, I later turned to active colloids and their broad fundamental and practical potential — a direction I have explored both as a postdoc and as principal investigator in Lucio Isa’s group. The development of programmable artificial microswimmers capable of reproducing key aspects of biological dynamics opens up exciting opportunities for the design of functional soft materials.
Since January 2022, I have held a Tenure Track position at the University of Bordeaux. Here, I continue to pursue the integration of established methodologies with new ideas to explore out-of-equilibrium systems, with possible applications in drug delivery, bio-manipulation, and the fabrication of artificial cells incorporating colloidal architectures. Overall, I am fascinated by 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: ECIS (European Colloidal and Interfacial Science) Scientific committee member.
2023- 2024: 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
2024: Nomination for Emergent Leader (Journal of Photonics).
2024: Beneficiary of Doctoral Network MC - SynSigCell
2023: DLR Microgravity experiments support (DLR, HHU, Uni. Bordeaux). Scientific partner.
2023: 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 "CECAM Workshop Active living systems" (CH) 2025
• Invited speaker at workshop "Statistical Physics Winter Meeting" (MX) 2025
• 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