Welcome to UNISTRA, Philippe !

Philippe Schiel will be joining the Institute of Supramolecular Science and Engineering (ISIS) at the University of Strasbourg in September 2020 as an Early Stage Researcher. In the framework of the ArtMoMa network, Philippe will spend 3 years working on the Study of dynamic covalent molecular motors at surfaces and confined spaces, while participating in international training and network events. Read his following introduction to learn more about him:

Tell us more about your background!

I come from the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and I am 26 years old. After finishing high school in Luxembourg, I went to Switzerland to study at the University of Fribourg where I obtained in 2017 my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in industrial chemistry. In 2019, I received my Master of Science in Chemistry from the same university. During my Master’s project, I worked on photoactivatable surface-functionalized diatom microalgae for colorectal cancer targeted delivery in the group of Prof. Fabio Zobi. In my free time, my central interests are football, music, and traveling.

Why did you want to be a part of ArtMoMa?

My interest in supramolecular chemistry and artificial molecular machines was piqued by a Master level course dedicated to this field. Since then, I could imagine working in this field and the ArtMoMa project offers a great opportunity to do research at a high level with an important network in academia and industry. I would, therefore, like to be a part of a highly motivated, international environment to help to develop this research area in order to possibly implement technological uses.

What are your expectations of living and working in your host city?

I am looking forward to working in a motivated team with a good atmosphere. Even though my home city is very close to Strasbourg, I have not been there yet but I have heard a lot of positive things about it, so I am excited to live there in the next years. Furthermore, I would like to visit the European institutions in Strasbourg one day as the European Union is one of the most exciting political projects in modern history.

What do you think will be your main challenge for you in the next three years?

It will be challenging to work on a big project over several years and face all the problems you will encounter. Therefore, good time management, strong patience, and motivation will be essential for this project.