On weekdays, I'm a microengineering student fascinated by 3D bioprinting of living tissue, wearable devices, electronic skin,  soft robotics and neural interfaces.  On weekends, I'm a House and Freestyle Hip-Hop dancer.

Dear Laidlaw community, My name is Esteban Germann, and I am thrilled to be part of the Laidlaw Scholars Network as a 2023 Laidlaw Scholar EPFL. I'm currently on an exciting journey as an architecture student at EPFL/ETHZ. My focus is on how the built environment affects humans and the way we live. Exploring this constantly evolving field, with its endless interdisciplinary connections, motivates me to create better living spaces for everyone! During my research summer, I had the opportunity to carry out a research project in Professor Andersen's LIPID laboratory (EPFL). I worked on the development and use of high dynamic range images, exploring the complex world of light and its implications for human perception and visual comfort. For my Leadership-in-Action project, I partnered with Stanford University and the Chinatown Community Development Center to investigate the impact of sustainable renovations on the well-being of low-income tenants in San Francisco’s Chinatown. My focus the effects of thermal renovations on residents' health and financial security. This experience provided invaluable insights into how architectural interventions affect human well-being. My Laidlaw journey is an experience I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life! I met wonderful people along the way. It was through sharing with others that I truly learned. Feel free to reach out, I'd love to connect! All the best ;) Esteban Germann EPFL | Laidlaw Scholar | Class of 2023

Hi! My name is Erica Hahn, and I am a rising sophomore at Georgetown University, majoring in Biochemistry.  This summer, I will be working with Dr. Rodrigo Maillard from the Chemistry Department. The Maillard lab focuses on the mechanisms of regulation and signal transduction of Protein Kinase A (PKA) which is a family of proteins that works to phosphorylate other proteins in complex signaling pathways in cells. Because PKA is involved in many critical signaling pathways, it has been associated with many diseases including Carney Complex and Acrodysostosis, making it an important therapeutic drug target. My project over this summer would be to observe and detect the behavioral changes of PKA using FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) sensor that our lab developed. Specifically, I will  be observing the interaction between the catalytic subunit of PKA and smoothened protein in hedgehog signaling which has shown to regulate PKA activity, different from the traditional PKA regulator cAMP and regulatory subunit. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ben Myers from the University of Utah.  I am very excited to pursue this research opportunities and to connect with various scholars. Please do not hesitate to reach out! 

My research interest primarily focuses on metabolic disorders such as type 1 and 2 diabetes as well as metabolic dysfunction in cancer. I am interesting in understanding the usage of analytic methods of identifying metabolite and lipid differences in pathology such as LC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) in metabolomics and lipidomics analysis. My Laidlaw research project is a collaborative project with the Joslin Diabetes Centre/Harvard Medical School and aims to identify whether stable isotope labelling can be used with transgenic brown adipose tissue for metabolite and lipid identification to elucidate the role of brown adipose tissue in glucose homeostasis.

Pianist and learning enthusiast. Tremendously interested in Robotics and its various applications.

Hello :)  My name is Alixe Kirbihler and I am a 2023 Laidlaw scholar. I am currently a third-year Life Sciences engineering bachelor student at EPFL & an exchange student at KTH in Stockholm. I am really interested in neurosciences, the biomedical field and, more generally, anything related to engineering.  Confirmed enthusiast of any outdoors activities, I am willing to discuss with you about any subjects, should it be STEM or climbing-hiking-skiing-diving related ;)  My research during 2023’s summer focused on characterising a novel D.Melanogaster mutant that perturbs synapse arborisation. It took place in Professor McCabe’s laboratory (for more information: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/mccabelab/research/).  My leadership in action last summer consisted of developing and implementing projects aimed at supporting emerging local cooperatives, women’s entrepreneurial initiatives, educational excellence, and improving the employability and mental health of young people. I am really glad to be part of this community that gathers such inspiring and dedicated scholars and can’t wait to meet you !

Dan-Thi is an enthusiastic professional with +8 years of work experience in strategic marketing, business development and communication within the higher education industry. She currently works at EPFL as a Project Manager for the School enhanced learning programs (incl. the Laidlaw program). Dan-Thi likes all aspects related to her position but what she especially loves is interacting with students and helping them grow personally and professionally. Dan-Thi has lived in fast-paced environments in Asia (Hong Kong, Japan) and she is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. She enjoys travelling and always looks for discovering new cultures. She can speak French, English and Vietnamese. You can talk with her about anything regarding food, sport and travel. She is a really bad swimmer and has absolutely no green thumb! :)

I am interested in the fields of mechanobiology, biohybrid prosthetics, biophysics, Jungian psychology, and philosophy. Recently in association with Laidlaw; In Cornell University (N.Y, U.S.A.) I worked on curating an art book on biomechanics for charity to raise awareness in this field of science. And in Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), we worked on developing a microphysiological model of the osteocytic network in the bone that can be used to better understand the (patho)physiology of bone using Direct Laser Writing technology using MLO-Y4 cell culture.  On the side; In ETH Zürich (Switzerland), I was working on understanding bio-hybrid muscle actuators using C2C12 cell culture by amassing literature review, designing biobot unit, and conducting biocompatibility tests along with growing and differentiating muscle cells for further electrical stimulation. At DogPatch Labs's Patch (Dublin, Ireland) I was experimenting with creating a start-up company to help amputees get affordable prosthetics.  On the (other) side; I like to dance, write, and read anything I get my hands on; be it music, poetry, or even shampoo bottles. Please feel free to contact me here or on LinkedIn for any discussions regarding the aforementioned topics!