Marleen Kamperman

Prof. Marleen Kamperman is a Professor in the Department of Polymer Science at the University of Groningen’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on bioinspired materials, particularly complex coacervates and polymeric adhesives. She leads the Bioinspired Functional Polymers group, pioneering underwater adhesives and functional materials inspired by biological systems. Kamperman holds leadership roles including Scientific Director of the Health Technology Research & Innovation Cluster (HTRIC) and Board Member of the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials. She has received prestigious awards such as the ERC Consolidator Grant and Van Marum Medal. Her work integrates chemistry, biology, and physics to develop sustainable and responsive materials.

Education:

• PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Cornell University (2008)
• Postdoctoral Researcher, INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Germany (2008–2010)

Research Interests:

• Bioinspired processing of polymers using coacervate phases
• Development of underwater adhesives and functional materials
• Material properties inspired by natural systems (e.g., squid beaks, spider silk)
• Applications in biomedical engineering and sustainable materials

Her group explores how liquid-liquid phase separation in polyelectrolytes enables material processing, leading to innovations in adhesives, hydrogels, and biodegradable scaffolds.

Recent Articles Trends: Focus on melt electrowriting for scaffolds, thermoresponsive adhesives, and coacervate-based biomedical applications. Highlights include 3D-printable hydrogels, enzymatically degradable materials, and atomic-level studies of hyaluronic acid dynamics.

Awards & Recognition:

• ERC Consolidator Grant (2019)
• Van Marum Medal (2018)
• Member, Young Academy of KNAW (2015)

Advising & Grants: Supervised 10+ research projects, secured grants including VENI/VIDI (NWO) and EU funding. Her lab collaborates internationally, e.g., with DWI Leibniz Institute and Chalmers University.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Bioinspired Functional Polymers group at the Zernike Institute, part of the University’s advanced materials research network.