UAB Best PhD Thesis Awards for Anton Guimerà and Núria Torras

Two IMB-CNM researchers, Anton Guimerà and Núria Torras, received last November 18th from the Rector of the UAB the extraordinary doctoral prize awarded by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Anton Guimerà Brunet has obtained the UAB extraordinary doctoral prize for his thesis Novel methods and tools for corneal barrier function assessment through non-invasive impedance measurements. The thesis has been directed by Rosa Villa from the Biomedical Applications Group (GAB) and Antoni Ivorra from the Universitat Pompeu i Fabra. This thesis covers both basic and applied research aspects, reaching the transfer to the biomedical industrial sector and solving a need in ophthalmological diagnosis by being able to quantify the degree of corneal permeability. This innovation also includes the development of a flexible microsystem made with microelectronic manufacturing techniques.

Núria Torras Andrés has obtained the UAB extraordinary doctoral prize for her thesis "Smart optomechanical actuators for tactile applications". The thesis has been directed by Jaume Esteve from the Micro and NanoTools group (MNT) and Jordi Roig, from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. This thesis includes the design, fabrication and characterization of optomechanical actuators based on photoactuated liquid crystal elastomers, oriented to tactile applications for visually impaired people. A work that explores the integration of these materials with microsystems technologies for the fabrication of small intelligent actuators.