Víctor Calero
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Braga, Portugal
BSc in Physics from the University of Seville and PhD in Electronics & Electrical Engineering from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Currently, he serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Braga, Portugal.
Teaching
Throughout his academic career, his teaching and mentorship focused in the supervision of Bachelor and Master students during their final dissertation research. These projects involve a combination of numerical simulations and experimental results, fostering a comprehensive learning experience.
Research
His doctoral research primarily revolved around the development, characterization, and optimization of an innovative microfluidic particle separation and fractionation technique. This technique involved precise flow control within microchannels and electrokinetic particle manipulation. The outcomes of his research demonstrated the significant potential of this method for the separation and purification of bioparticles.
Following the completion of his PhD, he held various research positions within the fields of microfluidics, electrokinetics, electrohydrodynamics, single-cell analysis, and Organ-on-Chip technologies. Currently, he is engaged as a postdoctoral researcher in the Safe-by-Design toolbox (SbD toolbox) project. This project aims to develop an in-vitro model of the human gastrointestinal tract using a Gut-on-Chip platform with integrated transepithelial electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensors to assess barrier integrity.
Numerical simulation and COMSOL Multiphysics
His research heavily relies on Finite Element Method simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics. These simulations play a pivotal role in investigating the fluid dynamics inside the microfluidic devices he develops, as well as the electrokinetic behavior of the particles within them. Furthermore, the simulations offer fundamental insights into the electrohydrodynamic flows induced by AC electric fields near channel walls and microparticles.
Additionally, they allow for the prediction of EIS spectra obtained from the integrated sensors within the Gut-on-Chip devices. Ultimately, these simulations contribute to the design and material optimization of these innovative devices.