Antrittsvorlesung von Prof. Dr. Iordania Constantinou 16. May 2024 | 16:30 h - 18:00 h
Inaugural lecture “Tiny Tools, Big Discoveries: Exploring Biological Frontiers using Microtechnology”
System miniaturization through microtechnology has reshaped various industries, including biology and medicine. The drive toward miniaturization is primarily motivated by the desire for increased efficiency, reduced material use, and enhanced functionality in smaller packages. These compact systems require less power and space, making them ideal for integration into a variety of environments. In recent years, the field of biology has leveraged these miniature systems extensively. Innovations such as microfluidic devices and lab-on-a-chip technologies allow for rapid diagnostics and real-time monitoring of health conditions at the cellular level. This capability has been crucial in various emerging areas, including personalized medicine and single-cell analysis. Moreover, in biology research, miniaturized devices facilitate the detailed study of tissue, including at the cellular and molecular level, pushing the boundaries of what we understand about life’s building blocks. In her inaugural lecture, Iordania Constantinou will discuss key technologies that have enabled breakthroughs in biology and how her research is contributing to this emerging field.
Bio: Iordania Constantinou was born and raised on the island of Cyprus, where she also received her education. After studying mechanical engineering at Cyprus University of Technology, she received a Fulbright scholarship for a Master’s degree in the USA. She received a master´s in Materials Science and Engineering in 2013 and a doctorate in the same field in 2016 from the University of Florida. She then returned to Europe and was employed as a postdoc at the Center for Molecular Biology at Heidelberg University (ZMBH). In 2018 she was appointed a junior professor at the Institute of Microtechnology at TUBS where she combined her newly acquired biology knowledge with her engineering background and established a research group working on the development of microsystems for applications in the life sciences. Since 2023, she continues as a professor at the Institute of Microtechnology working at the Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ) at the interface of biology and microtechnology.
Lecturer
Prof. Dr. Iordania Constantinou, Institut für Mikrotechnik