The sixth edition of the Pioneer Awards, organised by CERCA (Catalan Research Centres), was held last week. The awards aim to highlight and support research with the potential to deliver new solutions to the market and with significant social impact. Six awardees were selected from applications submitted by CERCA centres this year, covering fields like engineering, biomedicine and quantum technologies.

Two of the awardees completed their PhD theses at ICN2, within the Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group: Nicola Ria and Fikret Taygun Duvan. They will receive a €1,000 prize.

Dr Nicola Ria’s thesis, 'Graphene-based bidirectional neurotechnology for the treatment of movement disorders', focuses on developing graphene-based brain implants. This technology can detect and modulate brain activity with great accuracy and is being investigated as a potential treatment for disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Dr Fikret Taygun Duvan’s thesis, 'Graphene oxide-based thin-film interface technologies for vision restoration', also explores graphene-based technologies. His research focuses on retinal microimplants that could help to restore the vision of people with degenerative retinal diseases.

Both theses were carried out under the supervision of ICREA Prof. Jose Antonio Garrido, Vice-Director of ICN2 and head of the Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group.

Congratulations to both awardees on their excellent work!