TUMCS | Rafał Białek | 29.11.2023
Dr. Hemlata Agarwala
Image: Jan Winter / TUM
Dr. Hemlata Agarwala, a Group Leader at the Chair of Electrobiotechnology, has been honored with the Bioeconomy Innovation Award following her participation in the Second Interdisciplinary Postdoc Event at TUM Campus Straubing on 29th November 2023.
Dr. Agarwala, in collaboration with Dr. Enrique Raga Carbajal (Chemistry of Biogenic Resources), Dr. Mattia Nieddu, and Dr. Anna Zieleniewska (both from Biogenic Functional Materials), presented a project proposal to develop photosensitizer-nanomaterial hybrids (PS@NM) with a core-shell structure, which could find potential future use in anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT). One major drawback of radiation therapy or PDT in current clinical treatments of cancer is its inability to treat deeply buried tumors. Novel inorganic photosensitizers to drive innovation in PDT for deep-seated tumor cells will be developed in the research group led by Dr. Agarwala.
The Bioeconomy Innovation Award, which includes a prize of €5,000, recognizes the outstanding potential for impact of Dr. Agarwala and her team’s proposal. Through this award, Dr. Agarwala has opened a new research avenue at TUM Campus Straubing, which complements the ongoing research on the campus. The awarded funds will be used in 2024 to obtain preliminary results, contributing to potential solutions for anticancer therapy.