Esther Amstad

Esther Amstad is an Associate Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the School of Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She leads the Soft Matter for Life Sciences Laboratory (SMAL) and directs the doctoral program in Materials Science and Engineering. Her roles include teaching courses on soft matter and mentoring PhD students in interdisciplinary research.

• Current affiliations: EPFL STI IMX SMAL, EPFL STI STI-SMX SMX-ENS, EPFL VPA-AVP-DLE AVP-DLE-EDOC EDMX-GE (Doctoral Program Director), and EPFL VPA-AVP-DLE AVP-DLE-EDOC CDOCT (Doctoral Commission Member).

Her research focuses on soft matter, hydrogels, 3D printing, and colloidal systems. She develops self-healing materials, biocompatible composites, and bioinspired structures using microfluidics and advanced fabrication techniques. Key themes include mechanical reinforcement, stimuli-responsive materials, and multi-sensory integration for biomedical and robotics applications.

Recent publications highlight her work on granular hydrogels, 3D-printed biocomposites, and microfluidic encapsulation. These studies span tissue engineering, photonic materials, and sustainable resource conversion. Her lab's output emphasizes soft robotics, structural color, and programmable release systems.

Esther Amstad supervises 12 current PhD students and has directed 14 PhD theses at EPFL. Her team explores applications in artificial cells, self-healing e-skin, and mechanoreceptive devices. The lab employs microfluidic platforms, colloidal assembly, and additive manufacturing to address challenges in materials longevity and functionality.