ir. Sander G.A.M. Huisman is a doctoral candidate in prof. dr. ir. Jan van Hest's Bio-Organic Chemistry group, working on developing systems of complex coacervates that are more robust and biocompatible than the current generation of coacervates. For this, he is making highly charged, coacervate-forming polymers, investigating ways to optimise and stabilise the morphological and mechanical properties of formed coacervates, and looking at methods to incorporate and release bio-relevant cargo on demand. The long-term aim of his research is to create artificial cells that can communicate with cellular systems. 

Sander followed his pre-university education at RSG Lingecollege, Tiel, taking a broad interest in natural sciences, especially chemistry. He then came to TU/e to follow both the BSc and MSc programmes in Biomedical Engineering, conducting both his bachelor's end project and master's thesis in the Bio-Organic Chemistry group, working on transient superstructure formation of block-copolymer micelles and development of polymersome nanoreactors catalysing copper click reactions, respectively. After working at DSM Biomedical for some time, optimising proprietary polymers for long-term drug release by biomedical implants, he returned to TU/e to pursue his PhD, combining his interest in polymer chemistry, biochemistry and biomedical applications.

Sander is conducting his work in Jan van Hest's group of Bio-Organic Chemistry, affiliated with the faculties of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering. His work is supported by the Dutch government's Gravitation programme through the Interactive Polymer Materials (IPM) research centre, closely affiliating this work with other polymer-oriented research groups and TU/e's interdisciplinary Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS).