Meet Our Experts

Dr. Marijana Dragosavac is a Reader in Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University, UK. Her work lies at the interface of chemical engineering, particle design, and sustainable processing, with a particular focus on advanced encapsulation and delivery technologies for bioactives.

Her expertise in advanced particle manufacturing includes the precise control of particle size, internal structure, and surface properties to achieve tailored functionality. With a strong emphasis on sustainable and continuous processing, her research supports innovation across multiple sectors, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and food and drink. These efforts contribute to addressing global health and well-being challenges in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Dragosavac previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at Micropore Technologies Ltd, where she played a key role in translating encapsulation technologies into industrial applications. She now continues to support industry through consultancy, helping companies develop scalable, sustainable solutions for complex formulation challenges.

She has led major UKRI-funded initiatives and has been instrumental in organising international bioencapsulation training events, including the 11th training school hosted at Loughborough.

 

 

European Director, PolarDry® Technology, Fluid Air Engineering 🗼 France

Dr. Audrey Maudhuit is the European Director of PolarDry® Technology at Fluid Air Engineering, where she leads innovation, business development, and strategic collaborations in the field of advanced spray-drying and encapsulation technologies.

Holding a PhD in Chemical Engineering, Dr. Maudhuit has developed strong expertise in formulation science, process engineering, and microencapsulation of thermosensitive compounds. Her work bridges the gap between academic research and industrial application, contributing to the commercial success of next-generation drying solutions across food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors.

Before joining Fluid Air, Dr. Maudhuit built her career around scientific research and technology transfer, combining technical excellence with a deep understanding of industrial needs. At PolarDry®, she plays a central role in promoting electrostatic spray-drying innovations that enable gentle, solvent-free processing of delicate bioactives — preserving the functionality of proteins, enzymes, probiotics, and natural extracts.

Known for her collaborative approach and visionary leadership, Dr. Maudhuit actively engages with European universities, R&D institutes, and industrial partners to accelerate the adoption of sustainable encapsulation and drying methods. She is a regular speaker at international conferences, sharing insights on process optimization, particle design, and green manufacturing technologies.

Based in France, Dr. Maudhuit continues to drive the expansion of PolarDry® Technology throughout Europe, fostering a strong connection between scientific innovation and industrial implementation.

 

Dr. Fiona Hatton is a Senior Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry within the Materials Department at Loughborough University. Her expertise lie within Sustainable Polymer Chemistry, using biobased materials and 'green' chemistry approaches to produce well-defined polymers. She completed her MChem degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology in 2010 and her PhD in Polymer Chemistry in 2014, both at the University of Liverpool, UK.

 

🔗 Fiona Hatton | Department of Materials | Loughborough University

Dr. Guido Bolognesi in Mechanical Engineering from La Sapienza University of Rome. He then carried out an international joint PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics under the supervision of Prof R. Di Leonardo and Prof C. M. Casciola from La Sapienza and Prof L. Bocquet from University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL). During his doctoral research, he investigated micron-scale flows by means of optical trapping and digital holography, and liquid flow slippage on superhydrophobic surfaces via particle image velocimetry. Afterwards, he joined as a post-doctoral researcher the group of Prof. Oscar Ces in the Department of Chemistry of Imperial College London, working on the synthesis and optical manipulation of functional droplets and microparticles. At Imperial, he also worked on optofluidic technologies for the construction of 2D/3D droplet and vesicle networks as artificial tissue mimics. In 2016 he established his own research group at Loughborough University where he worked as Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Bioengineering.

 

🔗 Guido Bolognesi | About | University College London

 

🔗 Yu-Su Chen | Malvern Panalytical

🔗 Malvern Panalytical | Analytical Instrumentation | Malvern Panalytical

Dr. Elisa Mele is a Reader in Biomaterials. Her research focuses on micro- and nano-fabrication approaches to process biopolymers for healthcare applications. She completed her MSc in Physics at the University of Lecce (Italy) in 2003. She obtained the PhD in Innovative Materials and Technologies in 2007 at the University of Salento (Italy). She is the author of more than 100 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, 8 patents and 4 book chapters.

 

🔗 Elisa Mele | Department of Materials | Loughborough University

🔗Dr Richard D Horniblow (He/Him) - Department of Biomedical Sciences - University of Birmingham

 

🔗 Anna Trybala | Chemical Engineering | Loughborough University

 

 

🔗 Ignacio Martin-Fabiani | Department of Materials | Loughborough University

 

🔗 Constantina Sofroniou | Department of Materials | Loughborough University

 

Dr. Helen Willcock is a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Materials at Loughborough University, leading a diverse and multidisciplinary group focused on the control of polymer properties by tuning architecture and functionality, particularly in stimuli-responsive polymer particles. Much of their research is focused on the design and application of polymer particles in medical imaging (MRI) and the development of nanocomposites, for applications including sensing in water and soils to monitor climate change as well as biomedical applications.

 

🔗 Helen Willcock | Department of Materials | Loughborough University

Dr. Petra Hanga is an Associate Professor in Biochemical Engineering – Cellular Agriculture at University College London and the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Quest Meat Ltd, a UK cultivated meat start-up. She is a biochemical engineer by training, working at the intersection of engineering, life sciences, and commercial interfaces, with a particular emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to address one distinct grand challenge: food and nutrition for health by advancing cultivated meat technologies that have the potential to address many of the current global challenges.

Dr. Hanga sits on numerous committees, including ESACT-UK and the Biochemical Engineering Special Interest Group (BESIG) of IChemE, where she advocates for cultivated meat and alternative proteins. She is an Associate Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (AMIChemE), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and the recipient of the ESACT-UK Inaugural Chris Hewitt Rising Star Award.

 

Dr. Olivier Cayre (OC) is an Associate Professor is the School of Chemical and Process Engineering. OC received a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Hull in 2005 and then spent time as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. He then moved to the University of Leeds as a university resarch fellow and was promoted to lecturer (2012) and associate professor (2017) in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering. Research in OC’s group is focused on both fundamental and applied aspects of colloid and polymer engineering. In particular, OC collaborates with both academic and industrial colleagues in the UK and internationally to design and understand the behaviour of functional colloidal and polymeric systems. He is an author of over 100 scientific articles including 11 patents and 3 book chapters.

 

Dr. Fotis Spyropoulos is a Reader in Formulation Engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham (UK).

He has published over 60 research papers, reviews, and book chapters in the fields of emulsions and emulsification, soft solids formulation, and encapsulation and release. His work has been cited in more than 1,000 scientific documents, with an h-index of 23.

Dr. Spyropoulos’s research has been supported by EPSRC, Innovate UK (TSB), the Wellcome Trust, and numerous industrial partners. His current research focuses on:
• Formulation engineering of emulsions, foams, and soft solids
• Development of conventional and novel emulsification processes
• Encapsulation and controlled release systems

He is an active member of the Food Formulation Engineering Research Group, which develops innovative formulation engineering methods to design healthier, higher-performance food products through cutting-edge approaches to food processing.

 

🔗Dr Fotios Spyropoulos, Chemical Engineering - University of Birmingham

Dominik Gary is a Process Engineer at Glatt Group, Germany

Dominik Gary is a Process Engineer at Glatt Group, a global leader in fluid-bed and powder-processing technologies. Based in Weimar, Germany, he specialises in fluid-bed encapsulation, granulation, coating, and spray-drying processes, supporting both pilot-scale development and industrial-scale production.

With a strong background in chemical and process engineering, Dominik plays a key role in designing, optimising, and validating advanced manufacturing processes for the food, feed, pharmaceutical, and fine-chemical industries. His work involves conducting process trials, analysing performance data, and transferring technical results into robust large-scale solutions for industry partners.

Dominik is recognised for his hands-on expertise, problem-solving approach, and his ability to collaborate closely with R&D teams, equipment specialists, and industrial clients. At Glatt’s Technology Center, he contributes to the advancement of state-of-the-art fluid-bed technologies, helping companies improve product quality, efficiency, and encapsulation performance.

Passionate about innovative process design, Dominik continues to support technological development within Glatt Group, ensuring high-quality, reliable, and scalable solutions for global industry applications.

 

🔗(3) Dominik Gary | LinkedIn

🔗Home - Glatt - Integrated Process Solutions

Dr. Nilanjan Mukherjee is a postdoctoral researcher at Loughborough University, specializing in polymer chemistry and advanced hybrid material synthesis.

His work focuses on controlled polymerization technique like RAFT and PISA for the development of functional polymer systems for Biological and Environmental applications.

Dr. Dan Baiocco is an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University. Previously at the University of Birmingham for almost 9 years, he worked with Prof Zhibing Zhang and later joined the Healthcare Technologies Institute with Prof Liam Grover.

He holds a PhD in microencapsulation, developing non-animal, microplastic-free, plant-based microcapsules. His research advances safe, bio-inspired encapsulation for healthcare, cosmetics, and food applications. Current work focuses on micro-/nanoencapsulated systems for biomedical applications, especially haemostasis.

🔗Dan Baiocco - University of Birmingham

Mr. David Palmer is Technical Manager at Micropore Technologies Ltd, where he works on the development of monodisperse scalable emulsions, particles, beads, capsules, LNPs, and liposomes using micropore membrane technology. Based in Horsham, United Kingdom, he combines strong technical expertise with practical industrial experience to deliver innovative encapsulation solutions.

He is a highly motivated professional with extensive experience across multiple industries, with a strong focus on applying technology to solve complex scientific and technical challenges. His expertise includes microencapsulation technologies such as complex coacervation, MF/UF, interfacial polymerisation, hydrogels, PLGA microspheres, LNPs, and liposomes. He also has substantial experience in membrane emulsification, particle size analysis, and managing complex technical projects, including Innovate UK, EPSRC, and Horizon 2020 programmes.

In addition to his technical work, he is experienced in customer technical presentations, project management, and team development. Earlier in his career, he worked in paints and coatings, with expertise in colour measurement, colour matching, and papermaking. Outside of work, he enjoys software development and web design, including Java, VBA, Python, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, SQL, and machine learning/AI.

🔗David Palmer | LinkedIn

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