13th International Workshop on Silicone-Based Polymers

Michael Brook is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, at McMaster University.

Prof. Brook has been recognized with honors and awards for both his research and teaching accomplishments. Prof. Brook was made a Distinguished University Professor at McMaster University in 2017 and has recently received the 2023 Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievement.

Prof. Brook is an expert in silicon, silica, and silicone chemistry. His current research includes three main areas: making silicones more sustainable by incorporating natural products, using catalyst-free click chemistry for silicone elastomers, and recycling used automobile rubbers with silicones.

Craig Hawker is a professor in the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

Prof. Hawker is a world-renowned chemist specializing in new polymer synthesis strategies and the fabrication of nanostructured materials for applications in biomaterials and energy research.

His recent research on synthesizing siloxane-based copolymers and borosiloxane networks will be highly interesting for the silicone community and represents a pathway for future recyclability.

Joseph Furgal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Center for Photochemical Sciences at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where he received the 2022 BGSU Outstanding Early Career Investigator award.

Assoc. Prof. Furgal focuses on using hybrid (silsesquioxane and siloxane) based materials for the development and fundamental chemical understanding of photo-active architectures in the areas of switches, triggers, separations, sensors, self-healing, and environmental remediation.

His research builds on fluoride-catalyzed silicon bond rearrangements and light-driven dynamic covalent chemistries to develop new materials with uses from health care to space exploration.

Paul M. Zelisko is an Associate Professor at  Brock University, Department of Chemistry, Ontario, Canada.

Assoc. Prof. Zelisko works on the development of novel silicone materials for drug delivery and biomaterials, with focus on the field of silicon biotechnology.

His research team specializes in examining the interactions of silicon-based species with biological molecules for the development of green reaction methodologies. Furthermore, his research involves the synthesis and application of silicon-based coatings to a number of substrates including aluminum, steel, and both biologically-based and synthetic polymers.

Wojciech Pisula is the Director of Applied Technology Silicones, Evonik, and Professor in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Lodz University of Technology, Poland.

Prof. Pisula’s main research focus includes supramolecular structures of self-assembly systems and their implementation in electronic devices with applications in the field of silicone polymers in soft robotics, electronics, and energy generation and sensing.

Stefan M. Olsen is currently the  R&D manager of  Marine Technology and Innovation, Hempel, Denmark, and holds a PhD in technical chemistry from the Technical University of Denmark.

Stefan has worked with the development of fouling release systems at Hempel for more than 15+ years. His team has furthermore worked with shaping and implementing a sustainability strategy in R&D at Hempel. He will provide insight into the sustainability of silicones from an industrial point of view. 

Ada-Ioana Bunea is an Associate Professor, at the National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization, Technical university of Denmark.

Assoc. Prof. Bunea has a highly interdisciplinary background, with knowledge in chemistry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and applied micro- and nanotechnology.

Bunea specializes in functional materials using microtools and micro-surfaces for applications in biosensing, medicine and the energy sector. She has experience with multiple fabrication tools for cleanroom fabrication, 3D printing, cell culture, surface modification and characterization. Her research provides new perspectives on advanced production methods and uses of silicone polymers