Meet the team!

Prof. Nako Nakatsuka

Nako  is a tenure track assistant professor at the Neuro-X Institute at EPFL. She was raised in Tokyo, Japan and moved to the U.S.A. for her Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Fordham University (Bronx, NY) and pursued her Ph.D. at UCLA (Los Angeles, CA). Upon receiving the prestigious ETH Zürich postdoctoral fellowship, she moved to Zürich, Switzerland and after her postdoc, remained as a senior scientist at the Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics. She led a team focused on interfacing DNA-based receptors called aptamers with nanoscale electronic biosensors to detect small molecules such as neurotransmitters. For this work, she was named an MIT Under 35 Pioneer in 2021, received the iCanX Young Scientist award in 2022, and the ACS Nano Lectureship award and Prix Zonta in 2023. She has mentored over 40 B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. students at the ETH Zürich.

Prof. Nakatsuka is also passionate about social justice, outreach, and education. She was awarded the Norma Stoddart Prize for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Citizenship in for her contributions in community outreach in Los Angeles combined with her scientific achievements. She also received the Hanson-Dow Excellence in Teaching Award for her exceptional teaching and dedication to students during her Ph.D at UCLA. She was an active member of the Diversity Team at ETH and contributed to initiatives that raised awareness and sparked discussions about anti-discrimination within Switzerland. She has also illustrated a children’s chemistry book: “A is for Atom: ABCs for Aspiring Chemists”.

Jessica Empain

Jessica studied German languages and literature at the University of Liège, and photography at SisA in Antwerp, Belgium. She traveled and worked throughout Europe both as an admin assistant and a French teacher for about 20 years, enjoying discovering new places, people, languages, and mentalities.

Jessica landed in Geneva in 2019, where she now works partially as a French teacher and as an admin assistant in EPFL.

At EPFL, she feels incredibly lucky to work in a multicultural environment, surrounded with good hearted/minded people. She likes that the word “assistant” takes its full meaning and is not only related to administration.

Dr. Emily Schafer

Emily is a postdoctoral fellow in the CHEMINA lab originally from the United States (Grand Rapids, MI). She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering & Neuroscience in 2018 from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) where her interest in research began, helping to build organ-on-chip devices for studying breast cancer metastasis to the brain. She then earned her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) in 2022 and 2024, respectively, in the Laboratory for Organic & Hybrid Bioelectronics under the supervision of Prof. Jonathan Rivnay. During her Ph.D., her research combined advances from the fields of bioelectronics and synthetic biology to develop sensors to measure ions and neurotransmitters. Emily received the prestigious Neuro-X Postdoctoral Fellowship from EPFL for a collaborative project with the Laboratory for Soft Bioelectronic Interfaces (LSBI) that aims to create aptamer-integrated flexible electronics for dual chemical and electrical sensing.

Outside of the lab, Emily has long held passions for education, science communication, and science policy. She is a strong advocate for building scientific literacy amongst non-scientists and her favorite experiences doing this have included hosting a science podcast, giving science talks at local senior homes, and even teaching the “magic” of science at Comic-Con. She credits the influence of organizations like the Science Policy Outreach Taskforce (SPOT) at Northwestern University and the National Science Policy Network (NSPN) in helping her build these passions and hopes to have a career as a scientist that makes science more impactful and accessible. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of the USA non-profit Engineers and Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL).

Dr. Daria Semeniak

Daria is a postdoctoral researcher in the CHEMINA Lab, where she develops biomarker detection methods for neurological disorders using focal molography. Originally from Ekaterinburg, Russia, she earned her Bachelor’s (2014) and first Master’s (2016) degrees in biomedical engineering from the Physics and Technology Institute of Ural Federal University. In 2015, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States and completed a second Master’s degree at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR) in 2017. She then joined the laboratory of Professor Ashutosh Chilkoti at Duke University (Durham, NC) for her Ph.D., where she developed novel point-of-care diagnostic technologies by integrating nanophotonics, immunoassays, and low-cost imaging, with a focus on plasmonic fluorescence enhancement and nanoparticle-based immunoassay microarrays.

In 2026, she joined the CHEMINA Lab, driven by a passion for translating innovative scientific ideas into real-world impact and expanding access to advanced diagnostics. Her work aims to develop highly sensitive biomarker detection using focal molography to support early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, snowboarding, and exploring new places with her family.

Dr. Dat Nguyen

Trained as an analytical pharmacist in Vietnam, Dat has dedicated his research to developing innovative platforms that address challenges in therapeutic drug monitoring. He obtained his MEng in Health Product Quality and Validation Methods from Université Grenoble Alpes (France) in 2021, where he worked on aptamer-based platforms for microorganism detection. He subsequently completed his PhD in Chemistry at Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). During his doctoral research, Dat developed extensive expertise across the entire pipeline for development of electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors—from aptamer selection, translation, to sensor applications in complex biological matrices. His work mainly focused on accelerating DNA receptor isolation through novel selection methods, and using computationally- and biophysically-guided approaches to optimize sensor performances for pharmacokinetic monitoring.

Currently, at CHEMINA, his research continues to push the boundaries of aptamer selection and its translation into high-performance, advanced biosensing platforms. Besides that, he is a passionate science communicator dedicated to sharing research insights and mentoring the next generation of scientists. Explore more of his work and insights on his blog https://sites.google.com/view/minhdatnguyen.

Dr. Helen Tan

Helen is a postdoctoral researcher in the CHEMINA Lab at EPFL. She earned her MEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London (UK) in 2021, where she worked on fibre-reinforced hydrated networks for cartilage repair, combining experimental characterization with computational modeling. She then completed her PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology (NL) as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie CONSENSE program in the Molecular Biosensing group. During her doctoral research, she developed DNA-PAINT–based analytical frameworks to study the molecular organization of high-density biofunctionalized surfaces, with a focus on understanding how bioconjugation strategies influence biosensor performance.

At CHEMINA, Helen is supported by a Rubicon grant to develop a programmable DNA–antibody nanoclamp platform for label-free biosensing. Her research focuses on designing molecular architectures that translate target binding into measurable electrical signals, enabling sensitive and generalizable detection of clinically relevant biomarkers. By integrating DNA nanotechnology with electrochemical transistor-based sensors, her work aims to advance scalable, multiplexed point-of-care diagnostics, with an initial focus on biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury.

Outside the lab, she can usually be found chilling in the boulder gym, experimenting with sourdough bread recipes (with varying degrees of success), or on a continuous quest to find the perfect cup of coffee or tea.

Dr. Ye Ji Kim

Yeji is a postdoctoral researcher in the CHEMINA Lab at EPFL. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees in Bio and Brain Engineering from KAIST, South Korea, completing her doctorate under Prof. Seongjun Park in 2026. Her research centers on neurochemical sensing, from developing tools to investigate brain function to adapting these technologies for translational and clinical research.
During her graduate studies, she developed flexible, multifunctional fiber-based neural probes combining neurotransmitter sensing, electrical recording, and optical stimulation. Her work spanned device design and fabrication, electrochemical and optical measurement systems, and in vivo validation, with a particular focus on dopamine sensing. She also developed multichannel optical interfaces for monitoring neural activity at different brain depths. At CHEMINA, she builds on this background to develop aptamer-based biosensors for measuring dopamine in samples from patients with Parkinson’s disease, connecting neurochemical sensing with clinical research.
Outside the lab, Yeji enjoys exploring places on foot and once took part in a long-distance trek across South Korea. She spent many years on a street dance team and still loves dancing. She also enjoys experimenting with video editing as a creative hobby.

Dr. Annina Stuber

Annina is a postdoctoral researcher in the CHEMINA Lab at EPFL. She obtained her PhD between the Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics (LBB) at ETH Zürich and the CHEMINA Lab at EPFL. She was born in Zürich but was raised in the U.S.A. She moved back to Switzerland at the age of 14 and completed her schooling in Lausanne. Annina did her bachelor’s in Life Science Technologies and then her master’s in Life Science Engineering, both at EPFL. She did one year of internships in different start-ups in the Netherlands, and did her master’s thesis at LBB, where she then continued with her PhD, working on aptamer-based neurotransmitter sensing. Her current projects focus on creating chemical sensors capable of measuring neurotransmitters, which could be deployed for diagnosis or monitoring of various neurodegenerative diseases.

Throughout her university studies, she was very active in different student associations and extracurricular activities. She played the cello in different orchestras, as well as being involved in a student association called “Ingénieurs du monde” (Engineers of the world). In this association, she was responsible for creating internships in low-income and economically developing countries (both in university settings or companies) for engineering students from various fields, studying at EPFL.

Lianxin Xu

With a passion for translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world benefits for the patients, Lianxin joined the CHEMINA Lab as a PhD student in April 2024. He will work on the development of novel nanoscale biosensors for the real-time monitoring of neurotransmitters. Hailing from China, he pursued his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the cooperation program between East China University of Science and Technology and TU Clausthal in Germany and continued his master’s program in Chemical Engineering at Technical University of Munich (TUM). At TUM, he completed his master’s thesis in the Chair of Bioseparation Engineering, focusing on the application of nanoparticles in magnetic bioseparation. Besides that, he completed an industrial internship at Roche Basel and a research internship at NSEL, ETH Zürich. In his free time, Lianxin delights in exploring various sports, experimenting with diverse recipes, and immersing himself in the wonders of nature.

Sandra Hernández Escobar

Sandra is currently pursuing her PhD at the CHEMINA lab at EPFL. Originally from Madrid, she studied Materials Science Engineering, which sparked her curiosity for biomaterials and motivated her to pursue the Life Sciences Engineering Master at EPFL. Throughout her time at EPFL, she has taken on teaching roles and developed an interest in neuro applications.

Sandra is passionate about advancing medical devices towards the clinics. Beyond academics, she is an sports enthusiast, often spending her weekends climbing or trail running in the mountains.

Alexandra Banbanaste

Alexandra is a PhD candidate at the CHEMINA Laboratory, originally from Lyon. She completed her undergraduate studies at CPE Lyon School of Chemical Engineering. In between her studies, she worked for a year at Origenis GmbH, a pharmaceutical company in Munich, where she synthesized and characterized novel small kinase inhibitors. She then undertook a three-month summer internship at the Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Materials (LMOM) at EPFL, studying a type of nucleating agent that helps increase the crystallization rate in polymer blends. She continued at EPFL for her semester exchange, followed by her Master’s thesis at the Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling (LBM), where she used a deep learning model to generate new protein sequences and subsequently test their stability, thermostability, and structural behavior using X-Ray crystallography. Her current project focuses on developing a chemical biosensor to better understand neurotransmitter interplay in Parkinson’s disease.

To bridge her passions for science and art, Alexandra also engages in scientific illustration to help scientists better communicate their research. She offers services creating cover papers, 2D and 3D visuals, figure abstracts, and website illustrations (Check out her portfolio: https://alexandrabanbanaste.com). Alexandra is also an avid tennis player, climber, and runner in her free time!

Ali Elmorsy

Ali is currently pursuing his PhD at the CHEMINA lab at EPFL. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, he completed high school at Lycée Misr, an international French–Egyptian school, before joining EPFL’s Bachelor and Master programs in Microengineering. During his studies, he specialized in microfabrication, sensors, electronics, optics, and minored in biomedical technologies.

As a Master’s student, Ali worked on several research projects across EPFL labs: developing thin-film transistors for implants at LSBI, building an SPR-based sensor for a protein biomarker at BIOS, and creating single-cell trapping microfluidic devices at LAPD. He completed his Master’s thesis at the startup Bioneris (based in EPFL at the time), where he designed bacteria-trapping microfluidic chips for spectroscopic analysis of bacteria–gold nanoparticle complexes. Following this, he joined Bioneris and contributed to the development of a patented bacterial analysis platform.

Alongside his academic work, Ali was very active in student projects and competitions, gaining extensive experience in robotics, prototyping, and system integration. He participated in the EPFL Xplore rover team for three years, serving as software engineer, team leader, and project manager, and led the team to win the award for Best Robotic Arm. He also competed in the SensUs biosensor competition and co-founded the Biosense EPFL association to bring students closer to the field. In his free time, Ali enjoys cooking, swimming, and is an amateur astronomer.

Maxime Henrion

Maxime is a PhD student at the CHEMINA Laboratory, originally from Lorraine, France. He earned dual degrees from ENS Lyon and École Centrale Lyon, where he developed a strong interest in neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases. For his Master’s thesis, he joined Grégoire Courtine’s laboratory at EPFL, working with Antoine Collomb-Clerc on projects related to freezing of gait, a hallmark symptom in Parkinson’s disease.

Building on this experience, Maxime now focuses on detecting markers of brain dysfunction using focal molography, an optical biosensing technology that tracks mass changes on a chip in real time. His work aims to advance early diagnosis and understanding of neurodegenerative disorders.

Outside the lab, Maxime enjoys basketball, hiking, and cycling – and wishes he could win the laboratory’s culinary competitions. He also has a passion for 3D animation, which he uses to create engaging scientific presentations and visualizations.

Stella Schuster

Stella is pursuing her PhD at the CHEMINA lab at EPFL. Born and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). During her studies, she had the opportunity to work as an undergraduate research assistant on diverse topics, with particular focus on electrochemical biosensors for the detection of infectious diseases in patient saliva. She also completed internships in medical laboratories and hospitals. These experiences fomented her interest for mixing healthcare and multidisciplinary research and for innovation at the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics. She was later awarded an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree scholarship within the “Bioengineering Innovations for Precision Medicine” program, which supported her stay at the Université Grenoble Alpes, and at the CNRS in Strasbourg for her Master’s thesis on organic photoelectrochemical transistors for biosensing. After obtaining her degree in 2025, she moved to Switzerland to join Bioneris, an EPFL spinoff, for a 6-month research assistant position working on optical biosensors for detecting bacteria in food matrices.

Throughout her studies, Stella was very active on student initiatives, as President of the Biomedicine Student Association and Project Lead of the Biomedicine Junior Enterprise. Currently, she still nurtures an interest on entrepreneurship and science communication, and hopes to contribute to greater visibility of Brazilian science while inspiring Brazilian students interested in pursuing careers in research.

Alixe Kirbihler

Alixe is a first-year EPFL Master’s student in Life Sciences Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. She also completed her Bachelor’s at EPFL, where she gained research experience in neurobiology at the Laboratory of Neural Genetics and Disease, and the Laboratory of Regeneration and Neurogenomics. Her research projects focused on gene regulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and on the study of neuroregenerative pathways.

She was selected for the Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholarship, which led to a leadership experience at the Social Innovation Lab at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco, supporting local cooperatives, women’s entrepreneurship, and youth development initiatives.

Currently, she is carrying out her Master’s semester project at the CHEMINA Laboratory, characterizing novel aptamers and integrating them into a sensing platform for continuous monitoring. She also serves as a team lead for the BioSense EPFL SensUs team, developing a sensor to improve Levodopa management for Parkinson’s disease.

Outside the lab, she mentors first-year Life Sciences Engineering students and enjoys running, skiing, and figure skating. Her work is driven by a passion for bridging scientific breakthroughs and clinical applications, with the goal of translating technologies into solutions that positively impact patients’ lives.

Niel Mistry

Niel is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Robotics at EPFL. Originally from Canada, he graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Before joining EPFL, Niel gained diverse professional experience across several cutting-edge fields, ranging from the development of agricultural drones and exoskeleton robots to the creation of interactive sculptures.

Currently, Niel is a semester project student at the CHEMINA lab, where his work focuses on the characterization of Organic Electrochemical Transistors (OECTs) and the integration of microfluidics into the testing process. This work specifically aims to analyze the suitability of these devices for high-performance biosensing applications. Beyond the lab, Niel serves as one of the team leads for the BioSense EPFL SensUs team, spearheading the development of a continuous monitoring sensor for Levodopa to improve the management of Parkinson’s disease.

Driven by a desire to become a well-rounded engineer, Niel seeks to apply his multidisciplinary background to solve meaningful, real-world problems. In his free time, he is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking and exploring nature, while also harboring long-standing passions for aviation and astronomy. 

Yann Sipofo

Yann Sipofo is a Master’s student in Neuro-X with a minor in Data Science at EPFL, where he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences Engineering. He completed his secondary education in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, obtaining the Swiss Federal Maturity Certificate in Physics and Applied Mathematics.
Yann joined the CHEMINA lab as a project student, where he develops a data analysis framework using physics-informed modeling. His work focuses on quantifying CVD silanization effects and separating fabrication variability from silane degradation in aptamer-modified nanopipettes, aiming to optimize biosensor stability and lifetime for neurochemical sensing.
Prior to CHEMINA, Yann accumulated diverse research and laboratory experience. At EPFL’s Gene Expression Core Facility (GECF), he supported gene expression analysis technologies such as qPCR and RNA sequencing. At the LiGHT Laboratory (EPFL/Harvard), he built multimodal deep learning models for early Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. He also developed MRI visualization tools at CHUV and carried out analytical chemistry at Eurofins, while serving as a teaching assistant for Python at UNIL/HEC and Computer Architecture at EPFL.
Outside the lab, Yann contributed to EPFL N-Pulse as a software developer for 3D arm prosthesis scanning and volunteered at Hohoe Municipal Hospital in Ghana through EPFL’s “Engineer of the World” program. In his free time, he enjoys football, hiking, running, and fitness.

Luciano Manuel Calcoen

Luciano is a last-year EPFL Master’s student in Microengineerning. He has been working in cleanrooms since his bachelor, working on different semiconductor domains such as MEMS, nanoelectronics, ferroelectric memories, photonics and microfluidics.
Currently, Luciano is a summer student at the CHEMINA lab as a collaboration with the BioSense EPFL SensUs team, working on the development of Liquid-Gate Thin Film Transistors. This work specifically aims to improve fabrication and integrate more functionalities for high-performance sensing, out of the lab. Luciano aims to shrink the gap between performing academic devices and viable industrial products. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, reading philosophy and bouldering.