RIANA Junior Scientists
At the core of the RIANA project, the Smart Science Cluster (SSC) provides essential scientific support through a network of Junior Scientists at research infrastructures across Europe. These experts offer direct assistance at every stage of your research, from designing experiments to collecting and analyzing data. Their knowledge ensures you make the most of the advanced techniques available within RIANA.
Get to know them through their brief profiles below!
e-Dream
Tingting Yang; e-DREAM
Dr. Tingting Yang holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science, where her doctoral research focused on the preparation and modification of lithium metal anodes for Li-metal batteries using in-situ environmental transmission electron microscopy (E-TEM). Currently, she is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Ernst-Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. Her work centers on investigating degradation mechanisms in cathode materials for Li/Na-ion batteries, employing advanced techniques such as low-dose scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and neutron diffraction. Dr. Yang’s expertise spans scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), 4D-STEM, in-situ TEM, and focused ion beam (FIB) technologies. As a Junior Scientist in Electron Microscopy at ER-C, she contributes to the e-DREAM network now.
Nicolas Gauquelin studied Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of Rennes, France, and graduated with a Masters in Solid State Chemistry in 2005. He then did a shared PhD between his University of Rennes and the RWTH Aachen in Germany on Determining the anisotropy of diffusion in La2NiO4+d single crystal for which he graduated in 2010. During his PhD he got in touch with electron microscopy and moved to the Electron Microscopy Center in Canada at Mc Master University in Hamilton for a 3-year postdoctoral stay and learned Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy and advanced aberration corrected microscopy on complex oxides. Since 2013, he is a senior research scientist at EMAT, University of Antwerp, Belgium. His expertise lies in structure property relationship determination at interfaces in complex oxides and 2D-materials, EELS study at the atomic scale on various materials, and ELNES fine structure understanding as well as in-situ measurements of phase transitions with biasing, heating, and cooling. In RIANA, he advises researchers in techniques offered by the e-Dream network. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications of which more than 30 are in high impact factor journals and a H index of 34.
Nicolas Gauquelin; e-DREAM
LENS
Debasish Saha; LENS
Debasish Saha holds a degree, Dr. rer. nat., in Physical Chemistry from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany (2011). Before joining for his PhD, he finished his Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras India (2006-2008). In his first post-doctoral study at LIONS laboratory, CEA Saclay, France, he worked on a “Labex Nanoscalay” project (2012-2014). He did his second post-doctoral study at the University of New Mexico, USA (2016). He received a research grant from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India. Under this grant agreement, he conducted his research work as a DST INSPIRE Faculty at the Solid-State Physics Division (SSPD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India (2016-2022). He was selected as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow under the GNeuS programme and conducted his work at the Juelich Centre for Neutron Science, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany (2022-2024). After finishing this fellowship, he joined the same institute as a Junior Scientist in the EU RIANA project, where he is responsible for user support for neutron scattering techniques. Over his 15-year research career, he has received several international fellowships and published more than 20 scientific articles in reputed journals.
RADIATE
Dr. Masedi Masekane is a postdoctoral scientist at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) and a junior scientist in the RIANA project under the RADIATE network. Raised in Pretoria, South Africa, he was among the first graduates of the Industrial Physics (Nuclear Technology) diploma program at the Tshwane University of Technology. He earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Nuclear Science and Technology from North-West University, followed by an MSc in Physics (cum laude, 2020) from the University of South Africa. His Masters’ research, presented at the 2019 International Ion Beam Analysis conference in France, won the Michel Cantarel Prize. Dr. Masekane completed a joint PhD (Magna Cum Laude, 2024) from the University of Zagreb and the University of South Africa, supported by a two-year International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fellowship at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. His research was showcased at international conferences in Japan (2023) and Australia (2024). Before joining RIANA in 2024, he joined the National Research Foundation as a postdoctoral fellow at iThemba LABS, focusing on Total Ion Beam Analysis system upgrades. At RBI, his expertise includes heavy Ion Beam Analysis using PIXE, ToF-ERDA, and MeV SIMS for materials research and ion-atom collision studies. His work integrates machine learning for atomic parameter prediction and multivariate analysis for elemental and molecular imaging
Masedi Carington Masekane; RADIATE
Ryan Yang; RADIATE
Ryan Yang is a junior scientist in the RIANA research network, based at the Ion Beam Centre of the HZDR and working within the RADIATE group. His research focuses on Helium Ion Microscopy, which he utilizes for imaging, lithography, and etching applications. With extensive expertise in nanofabrication techniques, he contributes to advancing methods for precise material manipulation and nanoscale characterization. Ryan’s skillset includes ion implantation, proton beam writing, ion lithography, and ion microscopy for imaging and characterization. He is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across Europe, particularly in the fields of ion beam science and nanofabrication, to drive innovation and expand research frontiers.
Santanu Kumar PADHI is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Micro-Analysis of Materials (CMAM) at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Hyderabad, India, in 2021, and previously worked as a fellow at the University of Turin, Italy, until May 31, 2023. His research focuses on superconductors, semiconducting oxides, radiation damage, biomaterials, and high-brilliance X-ray sources, with expertise in synthesis, modification, characterization, and applications of materials.
Santanu Kumar Padhi; RADIATE
EUSMI
Jakub Jagielski; EUSMI
Dr. Eng. Jakub Jagielski is a post-doctoral researcher at the NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, where he has been working on the RIANA (Research Infrastructure Access in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology) project since June 2024. As an EUSMI network representative, Dr. Eng. Jagielski is an expert in soft matter and biomaterials characterization, utilizing advanced techniques such as NMR and cryo-TEM. With a strong background in nanotechnology and materials science, Dr. Eng. Jagielski completed his Ph.D. at the NanoBioMedical Centre in Poznań in January 2024. His research focuses on lipid liquid crystalline nanoparticles, emphasizing statistical optimization and comprehensive bio- and physicochemical characterization of these materials. Dr. Eng. Jagielski’s expertise extends to experimental design, response surface methodology, and nanomaterials toxicity evaluation. The interdisciplinary approach he employs contributes significantly to the RIANA project’s mission of advancing nanoscience and nanotechnology in Europe. Dr. Eng. Jagielski aims to further the development and application of novel nanomaterials in biomedical sciences, leveraging his expertise in soft matter characterization and nanomaterial optimization.
EUROnanoLAB
Octavian-Gabriel Simionescu, Ph.D. (2023), graduated summa cum laude from the Doctoral School of Physics at the University of Bucharest, where he focused on plasma-based growth and processing of carbon nanostructures for piezoresistive and electrochemical applications. Since 2016, he has been working as a physicist and research scientist at the National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies (IMT), Bucharest, Romania. He has over eight years of experience in plasma deposition processes, as well as in plasma etching and plasma processing/treatments. Within the framework of the RIANA project, he is one of two junior scientists (JS) representing EUROnanoLAB, responsible for nanofabrication techniques such as deposition, lithography, etching, and other adjacent nanofabrication methods.
Octavian-Gabriel Simionescu; EUROnanoLAB
Andrius Zutautas; EUROnanoLAB
Andrius Žutautas holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Applied Physics, as well as a Doctorate degree in Materials Engineering from Kaunas University of Technology. Andrius’s scientific career started in 2012 at Kaunas University of Technology Material Science Institute as part of a young scientist programme provided by the Research Council of Lithuania. Moving forward, he became an engineer in Material Science Institute’s Technology development laboratory, where he now holds a researcher position.
Over his short career, Andrius is already a part of more than a dozen national and international scientific projects where he honed his skills as a scientific researcher. His main research activities being: formation of micro and nanostructures for optical applications employing holographic, electron lithography techniques for periodic one and two-dimensional structures patterning and computer modeling; thin film coating using reactive magnetron sputtering and vacuum PVD systems; structure formation employing deep reactive ion etching techniques; optical and fluorescent microscopic investigation; and spectroscopic ellipsometry.
LEAPS
Dr. Alexey Maximenko is the manager of the ASTRA beamline at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Dr. Maximenko’s expertise encompasses X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including both XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) and EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) techniques. These methods are pivotal for investigating the electronic structure, oxidation states, and local atomic environments of materials. His work is particularly relevant to understanding and optimizing the properties of nanostructured materials for various technological applications. In addition to his technical expertise in synchrotron-based techniques, Dr. Maximenko has a robust background in conducting both fundamental and applied research in nanomaterials. His contributions include studies on the synthesis, characterization, and application of nanostructures in fields such as catalysis, energy storage, and advanced functional materials. His research often bridges the gap between academia and industry, as evidenced by his co-authorship of several patents. Dr. Maximenko is also deeply involved in academic mentorship and education. He has supervised multiple bachelor’s and master’s theses, fostering the development of young researchers in his field. His leadership at the ASTRA beamline ensures that cutting-edge synchrotron radiation tools are accessible to researchers from diverse scientific disciplines, enabling groundbreaking studies across physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science.
Alexey Maximenko; LEAPS
Nitin Mallik; LEAPS
Nitin Mallik is a postdoctoral researcher at the TEMPO beamline in Synchrotron SOLEIL, France. He obtained his B.S. in Materials Science from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in 2017. He then earned his Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, in 2023, where he studied the interface of atomic layer deposition-based metal oxide charge transport layers on metal halide perovskites in solar cells. His current research focuses on angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and near-ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy of two-dimensional semiconductors and perovskite solar cells.