Alexandros Sergakis is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Crete. His doctoral research focuses on fault diagnosis and prognosis in electromechanical systems for renewable power production, with particular emphasis on condition monitoring of direct-drive permanent-magnet synchronous generators used in offshore wind and marine energy applications. His work combines high-fidelity 3D finite element analysis, signal processing, and experimental validation to detect critical faults such as partial demagnetization and inter-turn short circuits in permanent-magnet machines. He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Technical University of Crete, where his thesis examined fault diagnosis in direct-drive permanent-magnet generators for offshore wind turbines. Since 2024, he has been contributing as a researcher to the EU Horizon and UKRI-funded MEGA PTO WAVE project, focusing on diagnostics for low-speed, direct-drive coreless permanent-magnet generators in marine energy converters. His research output includes journal publications in IET Electric Power Applications and Energies, as well as conference papers presented at ICEM, IEEE SDEMPED, and IEEE EEEIC/I&CPS Europe. He has also gained international research experience as a visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Valladolid, where he worked on condition monitoring of permanent-magnet machines through experimental fault-diagnosis campaigns.

Through the IKY–Fulbright fellowship, Alexandros will conduct a six-month research residency at Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering from October 2026 to March 2027, under the supervision of Dr. Thomas C. Krause. His Fulbright project will focus on improved condition monitoring of permanent-magnet electric machines, integrating modeling, simulation, sensing, signal processing, and experimental validation. At Purdue, he will work on diagnostic methods for rotor permanent-magnet demagnetization and stator inter-turn short circuits, using the university’s ECE laboratories to validate his modeling and simulation work experimentally. This research visit will strengthen the experimental foundation of his Ph.D., support future high-impact publications, and contribute to the development of more reliable monitoring strategies for renewable energy and energy-machine applications.

Andriana Lymperi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Patras, where she conducts research at the Laboratory of Chemical and Electrochemical Processes. Her work focuses on Catalysis and Electrochemistry, with particular emphasis on the phenomenon of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (EPOC). Her research investigates innovative approaches for utilizing greenhouse gases as feedstocks in the production of valuable chemicals and fuels. By converting environmentally harmful emissions into useful products, her work aims to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation while supporting the development of more sustainable chemical processes and technologies.

As a Fulbright Visiting Research Student, she will spend six months at the Delaware Energy Institute at the University of Delaware under the supervision of Professor Dionisios Vlachos. There, she will focus on the development, characterization, and testing of conventional catalysts and electrochemical systems for high-temperature greenhouse gas conversion processes. This research will complement and expand upon her doctoral work on electrochemical promotion, enabling a direct comparison between different catalytic and electrochemical approaches for the utilization of greenhouse gases. Through this collaboration, she aims to advance the understanding of sustainable technologies for greenhouse gas conversion and contribute to the development of innovative solutions that support the transition toward cleaner energy systems and a more sustainable future.

Asimina Kolianou graduated from the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Patras with an Integrated Master in Pharmacy (2023), where she continues as a Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Professor Georgia Sotiropoulou. Her research focuses on the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with particular emphasis on Parkinson’s disease and α-synuclein biology. In terms of the project, she also studies the role(s) of extracellular vesicles/exosomes in neurodegeneration. Her research employs basic and more sophisticated biochemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology techniques, tissue culturing, fluorescence and electron microscopy.

As an IKY-Fulbright Visiting Research Student, she will conduct research at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her project will utilize advanced in vitro neuronal models, including human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, to study α-synuclein in (patho)physiologically relevant environments. These models will be used to investigate mechanisms of protein aggregation dynamics and neuronal responses in systems that closely recapitulate aspects of human disease. Through this experience, she aims to expand her expertise in neurodegeneration research and generate insights that will directly contribute to her Ph.D. work on the mechanisms underlying alpha-synuclein clearance in the brain. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the disease is expected to promote the development of effective therapeutic approaches.

Efthymia Papadopoulou (M.D., M.Sc., ERS HERMES European Diploma in Adult Respiratory Medicine) is a pulmonologist, clinical researcher and early-career member participating in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Clinical Practice Guidelines Methodology Network and ERS Clinical Research Collaboration projects. As a Ph.D. student at the University of Ioannina, she explores clinical and functional respiratory markers to facilitate timely diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with a view to reducing disease burden and mortality.

Supported by the IKY-Fulbright Visiting Research Student grant, Efthymia will advance her Ph.D. research at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she will collaborate with distinguished experts, and study longitudinal data from individuals at risk of developing COPD. Overall, Efthymia aspires that this six-month research placement will enhance the clinical impact of her Ph.D. study and help transform clinical practice, establishing a proactive approach to COPD management.

Ioannis Tsichlis is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Pharmacy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He holds an Integrated Master’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Patras, and an M.Sc. in Nanomedicine from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His doctoral research lies at the interface of pharmaceutical technology, nanomedicine, biomaterials science, and drug delivery, with a focus on lipid-based and lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles for nucleic acid therapeutics. During his Ph.D., he has focused on nanoparticle-based nucleic acid delivery technologies, with particular interest in mitochondrial targeting and applications in rare mitochondrial and genetic disorders. As a researcher, Ioannis has worked under Professor Costas Demetzos on projects that have led to several publications in peer-reviewed journals and more than 20 presentations at national and international scientific conferences. He has completed research placements at institutions in Greece, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and Austria, supported by competitive Ph.D. scholarships and mobility fellowships. His research in gene delivery has been recognized with best oral presentation awards at the 14th Targeting Mitochondria Congress of the World Mitochondria Society for the work Development of Mitochondria-Inspired Lipopolyplexes for Gene Delivery, and at the 17th Mediterranean Conference on Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis for the work Thermoresponsive Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery.

As a Fulbright Visiting Research Student, he will conduct part of his doctoral research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collaboration with Professor Alexander Kabanov. There, he will work in a research environment focused on target-specific drug and gene delivery, providing a strong scientific basis for the next stage of his doctoral work. During his visit, he will advance his research on mitochondria-targeted gene delivery and strengthen its translational potential, with the aim of contributing to future nanomedicine strategies for rare mitochondrial disorders.