Mildred S. Cano-Velázquez is a postdoctoral researcher in the Photonics and Semiconductor Nanophysics (PSN) group in the Applied Physics Department of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Her main research focus is on the development of optical fiber-tip sensors for multiple physical and biological purposes. These include temperature, refractive index, pressure, and biomolecules interactions sensing. In 2021 she joined the group of Prof. Andrea Fiore at TU/e, which demonstrated a novel method to fabricate fiber tip sensors, combining the power of nanophotonics and the versatility of fiber optics. Currently, Mildred is working on proposing solutions to the several challenges involved in advancing this promising technology to the point where it is suitable for practical applications. 

From sketching the idea to provide a final product, my constant motivation is to transform a fiber optic -something as tiny as a hair- into a powerful sensing instrument. 

Mildred S. Cano-Velázquez received her bachelor's degree in telecommunications engineering, with honors, from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM, México), in 2013. She was award an Erasmus Mundus Fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in physics and laser technology at the Universidad de Salamanca (USal, Spain) and the Universidad de Valladolid (UVa, Spain), graduating in 2015. In 2020, she graduated with honors from the UNAM with a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering. Her Ph.D. thesis aimed at developing a fiber optic immunosensor for the efficient diagnosis of tuberculosis. Additionally, in parallel with her Ph.D., she spent a year at the University of Riverside, California (UCR, USA). There, she explored different biomedical imaging techniques for monitoring cerebral blood flow. Starting in May 2021, she joined the TU/e as a postdoc, where she is working on lab-on-fiber sensors and their application in the industrial field.