Strengthening research and collaboration: IMB-CNM at the 9th JPhD Meeting

The Scientific Meeting of PhD Candidates (JPhD) is the annual conference organized by and for PhD researchers at the Institute of Material Science of Barcelona (ICMAB) premises. This year's 9th edition featured short PhD candidates' presentations, seminars, invited speakers, a round table and a visit to the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona and the ALBA Synchrotron on Friday November 14. It fostered collaboration among emerging scientists but also highlighted IMB-CNM’s leadership in microelectronics and quantum technologies.

The JPhD 2025 congress proved to be a key meeting point for young researchers in materials science and nanotechnology at the UAB Campus. The meeting was organised by predoctoral researchers from ICMAB-CSIC, the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB); and sponsored by the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM), the Central European Research Consortium (CERIC), the publishing house MDPI, and CASIO. It took place between the 12th and 14th November at ICMAB. 

The IMB-CNM reaffirmed its commitment to supporting emerging talent and cutting-edge research. Many predoctoral researchers actively participated, with 5 oral presentations and 4 posters. These contributions underline not only scientific excellence but also the institute’s role in shaping the future of nanotechnology. Through initiatives like JPhD, IMB-CNM strengthens its mission to promote frontier science and empower the next generation of researchers.

Haowen Hu was recognized with the Best Oral Contribution award for his outstanding presentation, reflecting the high level of research developed at our center. His work underscores the institute’s sustained excellence and innovative spirit. It marks the second year in a row an IMB-CNM researcher wins this distinction (Carla Riera Llobet won Best Oral Contribution in 2024).

Oral Presentations

• Teresa Elenes Cervantes: Vapor Phase Infiltration in Homopolymers and Block Copolymers
• Haowen Hu: High-resolution Block Copolymer for Advanced Application in Nanoelectronics
• Jitendra Kumar: Neuromorphic Electrochemical Imagers for Advanced Organ Modeling and Medical Discovery on Chip
• Iker Uranga: Introducing thermal scanning probe lithography into the fabrication of semiconductor quantum devices
• David Valero Guillén: Design, fabrication and characterization of silicon strip particle detectors for 150 mm wafers

Posters

• Carla Blanes: Electrospun Silk Fibroin Membranes for Sustainable and Smart Biosensing
• Zhenhua Su: Engineering HfO2/Al2O3 Stacks for Stable and Reliable Memristor Operation
• Houyem Trabelsi: Ethanol sensing at room temperature via ZnS nanostructure-based optical approach
• Flaminia Vinci: New automation and detection strategies for compact biomarker monitoring systems based on microfluidic microarrays

9th JPhD Organizers

The 12 PhD organisers were the following: Afroditi Koutsogianni (ICMAB), Elena Murillo Vilella (ICMAB), Manan Mehta (ICMAB), Xiaoming Liu (ICMAB), Patricia Aguilar Merino (ICN2), Aina Galceran Sabatés (ICN2), Belén Pepió Tárrega (ICN2), Noel Muñoz Pérez (ICN2), Jorge Martínez Romeral (ICN2), Roger de Paz Castany (UAB), Luís Martínez Armesto (UAB) and Aitor Arredondo López (UAB).