Appointment of STI professors
© 2023 EPFL
The Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology has announced the appointment of professors at EPFL, including four in the School of Engineering (STI).
New appointments
Dr Sangwoo Kim, currently Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Engineering (STI)
Sangwoo Kim is an expert in computational and theoretical biomechanics, with strong background in multiple domains of science, such as engineering, physics, applied mathematics and biology. His research focuses on how to model and explain emerging properties of developing biological tissues using modern techniques from non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and soft-matter physics. The impact of his studies is relevant to the fundamental advance of scientific knowledge as well as to applications, such as the development of new biomaterials and the study of tumoral growth. Sangwoo Kim’s appointment will increase the visibility of this area of research at EPFL and foster new interdisciplinary interactions within the school.members of the Federal Institute of Technology.
Dr Valerio Zerbi, currently Research and Teaching Associate at EPFL, as Assistant Professor of Neurotechnology in the School of Engineering (STI)
Valerio Zerbi is a pioneering scientist in the field of preclinical magnetic resonance imaging. He develops magnetic resonance imaging techniques and uses them in combination with neuromodulation approaches, rodent models, machine-learning algorithms, electrophysiology and behavioral tests. His research aims at describing and understanding network signatures underpinning the pathophysiology of different neurological and psychiatric conditions, including Autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. He was awarded an SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship in 2022.
Promotions
Professor Mahmut Selman Sakar, currently Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, as Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Engineering (STI)
Mahmut Selman Sakar is an international expert in the field of micro- and nanorobotics, with focus on micromechanics applied to cellular tissues. His research onnew propulsion systems for microrobots has received international acclaim. Among other grants, he was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in 2017 and an ERC Proof of Concept Grant in 2020. At EPFL, he runs the MicroBioRobotic Systems Laboratory (MICROBS) and is known for his commitment to high-quality teaching. Through generations of students, through his highly innovative research and a wide network of collaborations, Mahmut Selman Sakar contributes to developing, at EPFL, the future of his field.
Award of the title of Professor
Dr Giovanni Boero, currently Senior Scientist in the School of Engineering at EPFL (STI), as Adjunct Professor at EPFL.
Giovanni Boero is an international expert in the field of magnetic and electron resonance spectroscopy. The results of his research have applications in the field of physics, microtechnology, electronics, as well as life sciences and chemistry. It contributes to strengthening EPFL through important academic and industrial collaborations, through quality teaching, and through innovative research that connects different fields of science and engineering.