Saarbrücken, 16 October 2025 – Junior PI Dr Mariia Nesterkina has been awarded the prestigious „innovate!“ funding by the Joachim-Herz Foundation. The highly competitive program supports outstanding early-career researchers in transferring their scientific ideas into practical applications. For Mariia, the grant provides crucial momentum as she continues building her junior research group Smart Pharmaceutical Materials and Systems at Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS).
Her research focuses on developing smart materials for controlled drug delivery – systems that adapt to their environment and release active compounds precisely where and when they are needed. The project funded by the Joachim-Herz Foundation focuses on developing intelligent wound dressings made from liquid-crystalline materials that are based on natural steroids and terpenes. When the temperature of a wound increases due to inflammation, these materials respond by releasing antibiotics in a controlled manner – only when they are needed. This process is accompanied by a visible change of color, allowing to follow the healing process in real time. Fully bio-based and adaptable to individual patient needs, these innovative wound dressings aim to support targeted therapy and help reduce antibiotic resistance. “Our aim is to design materials that are not only effective against infectious diseases but also environmentally sustainable,” she explains.
The innovate! funding includes up to 250,000 euros for personnel and laboratory consumables, complemented by a seminar program on entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and science communication. “The grant means a great deal for my career as it gives new breath to my project and helps me shape it in a more translational direction. It allows me to involve Master’s students as the next generation of researchers,” Mariia says. “Along with financial support, the Foundation also offers a professional seminar program and networking with key players in the start-up scene.”
Originally from Odesa, Mariia studied pharmaceutical chemistry before completing her doctorate at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in Kyiv in 2017. She joined HIPS in 2022, where she has been pursuing her habilitation in pharmaceutical technology, while establishing her own research profile. Earlier this year, she also acquired funding via the Klaus-Tschira-Boost-Fund, another competitive program supporting early-career researchers on their way to independence. This combination of scientific freedom, resources, and career development marks an important milestone in her path toward building an independent research profile – and in bringing innovative material concepts closer to practical application against infectious diseases.
