We are delighted to welcome Kaiyu Zhu and María Arroyo Camuñas to the BCD Group at IMDEA Materials Institute. Their complementary backgrounds in materials science, mechanobiology, cell biology and bioengineering will contribute to strengthening the group’s multidisciplinary research at the interface between biomaterials and biological systems.

Kaiyu Zhu

M.Sc. Advanced Materials Science and Engineering

Kaiyu Zhu joins the BCD Group as a PhD student working on the iCells project. He obtained his Master’s degree from the Department of Materials at Imperial College London.

His research focuses on the development of a mechanobiology platform connecting mechanical stimuli with cellular behaviour, aiming to better understand how physical forces regulate cell responses. Through this work, Kaiyu seeks to uncover fundamental mechanobiological mechanisms and explore new opportunities for the development of advanced therapeutic approaches.

María Arroyo Camuñas

M.Sc. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

María Arroyo Camuñas joins the BCD Group as a Research Assistant through the Young Researchers Programme at IMDEA Materials Institute. She holds a degree in Biomedicine from Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and an M.Sc. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Her research background combines cell biology, advanced microscopy, high-content imaging and molecular biology, with previous experience in neurodegeneration, neuroepigenetics and neural stem cell biology.

Within the BCD Group, María supports multidisciplinary projects involving biomaterials, cell culture and bioengineering, while developing research based on nanoparticle systems, microfluidic platforms and bioreactor technologies for advanced biomedical applications.

We are very happy to have Kaiyu and María joining the team and look forward to their contributions to the BCD Group.

Welcome to the team, Kaiyu and María!