HDR Defence of Sijtze Buwalda

Controlling the properties of polymeric biomaterials via macromolecular engineering and processing parameters

Sijtze Buwalda defends his HDR on June 19, 2025 at Montpellier university.

Sijtze will present his research works on Controlling the properties of polymeric biomaterials via macromolecular engineering and processing parametersin front of the following jury:

– Thomas TRIMAILLE, Professor, Claude Bernard Université Lyon 1, reviewer
– Sébastien BLANQUER, CNRS researcher, Université de Montpellier, reviewer
– Audrey TOURRETTE DIALLO, Professor, Université de Toulouse, examiner
– David EGLIN, Professor, MINES Saint-Etienne, examiner
– Laurent CORTÉ, Professor, MINES Paris – PSL Research University, examiner
– Benjamin NOTTELET, Professor, Université de Montpellier, guarantor

Overview of his research themes:

During my career I have focused on 3 topics: hydrogels, porous materials and nanomedicine. Central to all my research activities was property control of polymeric biomaterials via macromolecular engineering and processing parameters to evoke the desired biomedical behavior. For example, together with coworkers I have contributed to the field of hydrogels by developing several gel systems which can form in situ, for example via stereocomplexation between PLLA and PDLA domains or via reaction between thiol and acrylate groups.

At CEMEF, my coworkers and I demonstrated the versatility of bio-based aero-, cryo- and xerogels whose properties can be tuned for biomedical use via processing parameters. At the University of Montpellier, me and my collaborators developed innovative strategies to improve micellar stability and prolong drug retention, for example via coordinative crosslinking and π-π stacking in the micellar core.

In the next phase of my career, my team and I will combine synthetic polymers, bio-based building blocks, macroscopic soft biomaterials and micro- and nanosized particles into hybrid and composite materials, whose synergistic properties may help to overcome current biomedical challenges and to address unmet clinical needs.

Sijtze Buwalda is part of the research team of CEMEF since end of 2018, he first joined the Biopolymers (BIO) research team led by Tatiana Budtova. And then, he moved to the S&P Surfaces & Polymers team when the research teams were reorganized in 2024.

He is currently co-supervising two doctoral students:

• Hiba Bouras, year 2022 on “Nanocomposite hydrogels and aerogels for biomedical applications”
• Carla Vincent, year2024 on “Composite hydrogels for dual drug delivery”

>> Check Sytze portrait