CURRENT MEMBERS 

Postdocs:

Zhen He was born in 1989 in China. She graduated in chemistry in 2011 from Sichuan University and carried out doctoral studies in the group of Prof. Ge Gao and Prof. Jingsong You at the same university (2011-2016). After completing her doctoral thesis, she moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a postdoctoral associate position in the group of Prof. David Procter at the University of Manchester (2016-2019). There, her research area was focused on organosulfur chemistry. In 2019, she carried out further postdoctoral studies in the group of Prof. Tobias Ritter at the Max-Planck-Institut KoFo. During her time at KoFo, she worked on synthetic organometallic chemistry and organic fluorine chemistry. In July 2022 she joined the Dydio research group where she is studying multi catalytic transformations. In her free time, she likes reading, cooking, listening music, learning English, German and French, playing the ukulele, fishing, playing basketball and so on. In addition, she is an audiophile.

Jan Bojanowski was born in 1992 in Poland. He studied at the Lodz University of Technology where he obtained his bachelor’s degree as well as master’s degree for his research in stereoselective organocatalysis, working in the group of professor Łukasz Albrecht. In 2016 he started his doctoral studies under the supervision of professor Anna Albrecht, investigating decarboxylative reactions in organocatalysis and in 2022 he defended his PhD. Shortly after, he joined the Dydio research group to work on organometallic hydroformylation. In his free time, he enjoys photography, hiking and ant keeping.

Kuhali Das was born in 1994 in India. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of North Bengal, India. In 2017, she joined the group of Dr. Biplab Maji at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India to pursue her doctoral studies on the development of phosphine-free manganese complexes and their application in catalytic hydrogen transfer and hydroelementation reactions and defended her thesis in 2022. In November, 2022 she joined the Dydio research group to study multicatalytic organic transformations. In her free time, she likes cooking, reading, and listening music.

PhD Students:

Bruno Lainer was born in 1997. He studied Chemistry at the University of Warsaw, simultaneously working in the group of Prof. Janusz Jurczak at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where he worked on supramolecular chemistry. He obtained his B. Sc. in 2018. He joined the Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School for his M. Sc. at the University of Strasbourg in 2018. Here, in 2019 he worked for 9 months in the group of Prof. Thomas Hermans in the field of Non-equilibrium systems kinetics. In 2020 he worked in the Dydio Research Group, investigating cooperative catalysis using “hydrogen borrowing” chemistry, obtaining his M. Sc. at the University of Strasbourg in June. As of September 2020 he re-joined the Dydio Research Group to continue his research on cooperative catalysis as part of a PhD program, within the Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School. In his free time Bruno enjoys getting bruises and cuts playing in a regional rugby union league and miniature painting.

Michel Sigrist was born in 1995 in Obernai, France. From 2015 to 2018, he studied chemistry and biology at the University of Strasbourg, where he received the Bachelor degree from the Biology Faculty. During that time, he did two internships, both at the Strasbourg Institute of Material Physics and Chemistry, France. He worked on the synthesis of platinum(II) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes against cancer and on the synthesis of nitriles based on a ruthenium-catalysed oxidation of primary amines under oxidant free conditions. In 2018, he entered the Chemistry-Biology-Medication program at the University of Strasbourg. In 2019, he joined the Dydio group at the Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering and worked on regioselective palladium-catalysed hydroformylation of unsymmetrical alkynes together with Dr. Yang Zhang. In 2020, he decided to continue the research in the same lab, investigating palladium-catalysed hydrocarbonylation reactions of olefins, for his Master’s thesis project and then as a PhD student. Outside of the lab, he enjoys meeting with friends and more experienced people in bars and sports like badminton and table tennis.

Flora Mammadova was born in 1995 in Baku, Azerbaijan. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Bilkent University in 2019 and did her senior project in the group of Assist. Prof. Yunus Emre Türkmen. The focus of the project was Polarization‐Enhanced Hydrogen Bonding in 1, 8‐Dihydroxynaphthalene. She continued her academic life at the Middle East Technical University and worked on the synthesis of push-pull chromophores under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Çağatay Dengiz. She graduated in February 2022. In her free time, she loves reading, discovering new coffee shops, and walking outside. 

Shuting Li was born in 1996 in China. From 2015 to 2019, she studied pharmacy at the University of South China, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Pharmacology. In 2019, she commenced her master studies under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Zhi Li at ShanghaiTech University in China, investigating the reactivity of sodium alkoxide clusters. In August 2022, she obtained her Master’s degree in chemistry from the School of Physical Science and Technology. In December 2022, she joined Dr. Dydio’s research group as a PhD student. During her free time, she likes watching anime, climbing, and walking outdoors.

Master Students:

Paula Holban was born in 2000 in Moldova. She studied chemistry at the University of Strasbourg, where she completed her bachelor’s. In 2021 she joined the Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School for her M. Sc. Here, in 2022 she worked for 4 months in the group of Prof. Andrey Klymchenko. The project was focused on the synthesis and study of fluorescent molecular probes for specific targeting of cellular organelles. Then, she joined the chemical company BASF in Germany for 4 months and worked in the field of polymer chemistry. In January 2023, she joined Dr. Dydio’s research group to study catalytic organic transformations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, learning languages and spending time with friends.

Ala Covas was born in 2000 in Hancesti, Republic of Moldova. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Strasbourg in 2021. In 2019 she did her first internship at the pharmaceutical company “Eurofarmaco” in the Republic of Moldova where she was a quality control laboratory assistant. Her undergraduate project was in Peter Fallers research group and was focused on peptide synthesis by SPPS and the study of the inertia of a Cu2+-ATCUN complex. In 2021 she commenced the Chemistry Biology and Medicine Master at the University of Strasbourg. In 2022 she joined the Alain Wagner research group where she worked on the functionalization of a new-generation maleimide with a strained alkyne (BCN). For her graduating project, she joined the Dydio group in 2023 at the Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering where she will work on palladium-catalyzed carbonylations. In her free time, she enjoys meeting with friends, playing volleyball, walking outside, and listening to good music.

Sani Yahaya was born in the year 1997 in Ringim, Nigeria. He studied Chemistry at the Federal University Dutse from 2016 to 2021 where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the Faculty of Sciences. During the final year of his bachelor degree, he worked with Dr. Ismail Sadiq Shina where he participated in the extraction and purification of natural products. In 2022, he joined Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School for his M. Sc. He joined Dydio’s Research Group in March 2023 at the Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering where he will be working on developing multicatalytic systems. In his free time, Sani likes to travel, play table tennis, and have fun with family & friends.

Group Pictures:

December 2022

March 2021

May 2019

September 2018

July 2017

October 2016

Former Members:

Visiting Scientists

Nikodem Kuźnik (associated professor at the Silesian University of Technology)

Postdocs:

Yang Zhang (now senior researcher in IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) in Benicarló, Spain)

Hanusch Grab (now a research scientist at SpiroChem, Basel, Switzerland)

Alessandra Casnati (now a postdoc with Dr. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano, ICIQ, Tarragona, Spain)

Dawid Lichosyt (now an assistant professor at the Institute of Physical Chemistry,
Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland)

Karolina Hurej (now an assistant professor at the University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland)

Nikola Bregović (now an assistant professor at the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia)

Stefano Libri

PhD Students:

Lukas Veth (now a postdoc in the group of radiopharmaceutical chemistry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Sebastián Martínez

Imane Boudhil (now a regulatory affairs associate at Sanofi, Vienne, Autriche)

Annette B. Vliegenthart (now a trainee patent attorney at Vriesendorp & Gaade
South Holland, Netherlands)

MSc Students:

Anastasiia Vorobei (now a PhD student with Prof. Nicolai Cramer, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland)

Miguel Antonio Uceda

Eva Rose Himel Rubin

Sergiu Bicic (now a PhD student with Prof. Martin Oestreich, Institut für Chemie, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany)

Maiia Aleksandrova (now a PhD student with Dr. Claudia Bonfio, ISIS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France)

Bruno Lainer (now a PhD student in our group)

Michel Sigrist (now a PhD student in our group)

Imane Boudhil

Visiting Students:

Debora Schiroli (MSc student)

Gourahari Behera (MSc student)

Sylwester Domański (PhD student)

Kinga Piechura (PhD student)