Abstract and short bio - Dr. Mariia Nesterkina

Dr. Mariia Nesterkina
Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarbrücken, Germany, mariia.nesterkina@helmholtz-hips.de

Abstract
The lecture will be dedicated to the novel strategy of utilizing the anisotropic properties of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) as biomaterials, aiming to extend their application for the delivery of anti-infective drugs and wound healing. The development and fabrication of novel compositions with a thermotropic core based on natural products will be explored. A distinctive feature of these compositions is their phase transition to the LC state at normal human skin temperature.
Attendees will be introduced to the scientific principles underlying the design of these advanced materials.
The lecture will cover how the thermotropic LCs are engineered to achieve precise phase transitions and how these transitions can be exploited for controlled drug release. The potential of these materials to enhance the efficacy of anti-infective treatments and promote effective wound healing will be discussed in detail.

Short bio
Since April 2022, Dr. Mariia Nesterkina has been an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Researcher at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in Germany. In 2024, she became a habilitand at Saarland University (Germany) in the field of Pharmaceutical Technology, where she also delivers lectures on Biopharmacy and Drug Delivery. Her current research focuses on the synthesis and formulation of thermotropic liquid crystals as materials for skin drug delivery and wound healing applications. In 2021, Dr. Nesterkina was awarded the title of Associate Professor at Odesa National University (Ukraine). She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences (specialization: Bioorganic Chemistry) in 2017, conducting research on the synthesis of novel terpenoid derivatives to enhance permeability across the blood-brain barrier. Dr. Nesterkina is the author of approximately 100 publications, including research articles, conference proceedings, patents from Ukraine and the United States, and a monograph. She is an active member of the Controlled Release Society (local chapter of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria). Her academic achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Alexander von
Humboldt Research Fellowship (Bonn, Germany), Galenus Foundation Support (Vienna, Austria), Best Presentation by a Postdoctoral Researcher (Dublin, Ireland), the Excellence Award from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (Lisbon, Portugal), and the Scholarship of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for Young Scientists (Kyiv, Ukraine).