News and Events

06.03.2024, Wishing Eddie Wai Chi Chan and Peikai Zhang All the Best in Their Future Endeavors

We bid farewell to Eddie Wai Chi Chan and Peikai Zhang as they embark on new journeys beyond our organization. We extend our heartfelt wishes for success and happiness in their future endeavors. Their contributions have been invaluable, and they will always be a cherished part of our community. We warmly invite them to return and visit, as they will always be welcomed back with open arms.

29.02.2024,Team Lunch at a Korean Restaurant

Yuhka Uda has graduated with her Master’s degree, achieving excellent results. Let’s celebrate her outstanding accomplishments and bright future ahead.

Visiting scholars Zhu Chang and Binbin Du have concluded their year of study and are returning to China. We commend them for their dedication and contributions during their time here and wish them a safe journey home.

20.12.2023, Team Christmas Lunch at a Thai Restaurant

6-8.12.2022, MI Annual Symposium and CRISP

18.12.2021. Group Christmas Gathering

20.10.2021 Velocity 100K Challenge Finals

Congratulations to the SuperCarbon team members Sara Beikzadeh, Alireza Akbarinejad, and Jadranka Travas Sejdic for clinching the prestigious academic category title at the Velocity 100k Challenge 2021. The business proposal of SuperCarbon is grounded in Sara’s doctoral research, which revolves around a groundbreaking technology known for its enduring antimicrobial and antiviral properties, applicable in various domains including electronic wound dressings, antiviral and antimicrobial masks, pathogen-resistant air filters, and anti-aging beauty facial devices. The flagship product of SuperCarbon, the HealectricCarbon wound dressing, leverages microcurrents to expedite the healing of both chronic and acute wounds while preventing infections. This innovation has the potential to significantly enhance patient care outcomes while substantially reducing healthcare costs. Press Release:
https://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz/newsroom/university-of-auckland-reveals-2021-velocity-100k-challenge-winners/

25.06.2021, Group Lunch Photo

10.11.2020

Congratulations to Professor Travas-Sejdic for being awarded Marsden Fund support to develop a novel method for creating transient organic electronic materials using polymers.
Biodegradable Polymer Electronics: A New FrontierProfessor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic of the University of Auckland is set to develop polymer-based materials for use in transient electronic devices that break down into environmentally friendly by-products. These electronic devices have the potential to be used in temporary medical implants that do not require removal.
Continue reading below:
https://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz/newsroom/university-of-auckland-reveals-2021-velocity-100k-challenge-winners/

28.04.2020

Congratulations to Dr. Min Wang on successfully defending her PhD thesis, “Photo-patternable Stretchable Conjugated Polymers,” on Tuesday, April 28. Min’s supervision was led by Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic with Professor David Barker serving as the co-supervisor.

26.03.2020

ongratulations to Dr. Peikai Zhang for successfully passing his PhD defense last Thursday! His thesis, titled “Direct Writing of 3D Conductive Polymer Microarrays for Biosensing and Cellular Stimulation,” was conducted under the guidance of Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, with Professors David Williams and Maan Alkaisi (from Canterbury) serving as co-supervisors. Peiaki’s PhD was funded by the MacDiarmid Institute. Peiaki’s doctoral viva was the first in the School of Chemical Sciences to be conducted entirely via video conference and took place during the COVID-19 lockdown.

17.10.2019

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic FRSNZ for being awarded the prestigious Hector Medal by the Royal Society Te Apārangi in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of advanced polymers and nanomaterials and their applications in biosensors, biomedicine, and bioelectronics.

Upon receiving the Hector Medal, Jadranka expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am deeply honored to receive this esteemed award. My sincere thanks go to the Royal Society Te Apārangi. I would like to acknowledge my past and present research team—the talented and hardworking graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, my collaborators in New Zealand and around the world, as well as my colleagues at the University of Auckland and the MacDiarmid Institute, who have also been my mentors and friends over the years. They have all contributed to this award without any reservation. Without them, my achievements would not have been possible, and the journey would not have been as enjoyable.”
Continue reading below:
https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2019-research-honours/2019-hector-medal-building-bionic-biosensing-biomedicine-bioelectronics/?fbclid=IwAR2V9aT6-cyDpG7BHdLcnAstgulc51hIKkadXxn3ElDAsmgkUF4Obf0CtWs

09.10.2019

Dr. Mahsa Motshakeri successfully defended her PhD thesis on October 9, 2019, under the guidance of Professor Paul Kilmartin and Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic. Her thesis focused on the development of uric acid electrochemical sensors modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) for analysis in milk. Mahsa did an outstanding job! Congratulations!

26.09.2019

Dr. Roshan Khadka successfully passed his PhD thesis defense on September 26, 2019, under the supervision of Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, with his thesis centered on the development of biosensors based on olfactory receptors. Roshan did an excellent job! Heartfelt congratulations!

24.09.2019

Congratulations to Dr. Guangyuan Xu on earning his PhD degree at the spring graduation ceremony held on September 24, 2019. Sincere congratulations once again!

25.09.2019, Group Photo in the Lab

16.08.2019, Group Lunch Photo

11.03.2019

Dr. Guangyuan Xu, supervised by Prof. Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and Prof. Paul Kilmartin, has successfully defended his PhD thesis on 11 March 2019. His thesis was based on laser scribed graphene: fabrication and electrochemical biosensors for neurotransmitters. Both of the examiners recommended his thesis to be listed on the Faculty of Science Dean’s list, an accomplishment few PhD students achieve. Very well done Guangyuan! Sincere Congratulations!

sdr

25.02.2019

Congratulations to Dr. Paul Beak on his new position as Facilities Officer at the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia

14.02.2019

Members of the Travas-Sejdic Group participated in the 9th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN9), which was held at the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, in Wellington from the 10th to the 14th of February 2019. Professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and her students gave oral and poster presentations on their exciting research developments in a range of projects.

Congratulations to Roshan Khadka (Supervisors Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and Andrew Kralicek) who was awarded the highly commended poster award in the 9th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN9).

28.11.2018

Congratulations to professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic for being awarded the Shorland Medal by the New Zealand Association of Scientists!!!
This medal is awarded “in recognition of major and continued contribution to basic or applied research that has added significantly to scientific understanding or resulted in significant benefits to society.”  Her award was in recognition of her contributions to advanced polymeric and nanomaterials.  Her award citation stated that her research was “highly multidisciplinary and collaborative, vibrant, creative and impactful, both nationally and internationally.”

17.11.2019

Members of the Travas-Sejdic Group participated in the 13th PERC Symposium & 4th Biocide ToolBox Symposium at the University of Auckland on 15-16 November 2018. Students and academics presented exciting research developments in a range of projects.

01.10.2018

Congratulations to Mahsa Motshakeri for winning the best poster prize for the Symposium on “Nanomaterials for Electroanalytical Chemistry and Electroanalytical Tools for Studying Nanomaterials” at the 69th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, held in Bologna, Italy, 2-7 September 2018. Mahsa’s poster.

Congratulations to Mahsa Motshakeri, supervised by J. Travas-sejdic, A.R.J. Phillips and P.A. Kilmartin, who received Metrohm New Zealand Young Chemist Award for developing a selective and sensitive electrochemical sensor for the analysis of uric acid and ascorbic acid in milk, 2018.

Congratulations to Roshan Khadka (Supervisors Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and Andrew Kralicek) who was awarded People’s choice award for most engaging poster talk in the Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase.

02.07.2018

Congrationlationa!
Paul Baek, supervised under Prof Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and A. Prof. David Barker, has successfully defended his PhD thesis on Monday. His thesis was based on development of stretchable and self-healing conducting polymers for organic electronics. Paul and his supervisors have had recent successes in publishing their collaborative work in Accounts of Chemical Research and Chemistry of Materials. 
Jamal Cheema, supervised under Prof Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and Dr Andrew Kralicek (Plant and Food Research), has been successful in receiving the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) postgraduate research award (PGRA). His PhD research is based on development of conducting polymer-based biosensors. 

22.05.2018

Science trends has reported Guanyuan Xu‘s recent work on “Selective, Sensitive Point-Of-Care Determination Of Dopamine With A Novel Disposable PEDOT/Laser Scribed Graphene Sensor”
Continue reading below:
https://sciencetrends.com/selective-sensitive-point-of-care-determination-of-dopamine-with-a-novel-disposable-pedot-laser-scribed-graphene-sensor/

04.05.2018

Congratulations to Roshan Khadka from Auckland Uni for winning the MESA 2018 International Travel Grant!!! He will be giving an oral talk at Biosensors 2018: 28th Anniversary World Congress on Biosensors.

02.03.2018

Welcome to Heidi and Annika! They will work in our group for one month on 3D conducting polymer arrays for stimulation of stem cells.

03.11.2017

Congratulations to Paul Baek for one of his publications: “Molecularly Engineered Intrinsically Healable and Stretchable Conducting Polymers” published on “Chemistry of Materials” have a top download for the month of October, 2017.

27.09.2017

Congratulations to Zhu Bicheng, Thomas Kerr-Phillips, Eddie Chan, and Mona Damavanti on their graduation!

15.09.2017

Kudos to Paul Baek for securing the second place in the PhD student invited oral presentations, and congratulations to Min Wang for winning first place in the first-year PhD student oral presentations.

16.02.2017

Members of the Polymer Electronics Research Centre (PERC) attended the 8th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology held in Queenstown from February 12th to 16th, 2017.
Congratulations to Peikai Zhang for winning a poster award.
Congratulations to Nihan Aydemir, Eddie Chan, Jennifer Barnes, David Barker, David Williams, and Jadranka Travas Sejdic for winning the prestigious 2016 Velocity 100k Challenge. Their business proposal, SpotCheck, based on the doctoral research of Nihan and Eddie, garnered numerous awards among over 300 participants and 17 fiercely competitive finalists. They introduced an innovative platform technology capable of rapidly identifying and diagnosing both infectious and non-infectious diseases where characteristic DNA signatures are present. This technology offers a fast, portable, sensitive, and cost-effective solution for molecular diagnostics.

13.11.2014-14.11.2014

Members of the Travas-Sejdic group participated in the 9th PERC Symposium held at the University of Auckland on November 13th and 14th, 2014. Students and scholars presented exciting research progress on a range of projects in areas such as biomaterials and drug delivery, polymer-based sensors, microfabrication, and polymer brushes for functional surfaces.