Olesja Bondarenko

Olesja Bondarenko is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics (NICPB) in Estonia, holding a 50% part-time position. She also served as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki (2019–2022). Her academic journey includes a PhD in gene technology from Tallinn University of Technology (2012) and postdoctoral training at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Konstanz. Her research focuses on nanotoxicology, antimicrobial nanomaterials, and biomedical applications of nanoparticles.

Key roles include organizing international workshops on nanomedicine and nanotoxicology, serving on editorial boards (e.g., Nanomaterials), and reviewing for top journals like ACS Nano and Nano Today. She has secured significant grants, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and Women TechEU funding, and has been recognized with awards such as the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Special Award.

Bondarenko’s research spans nanoparticle-bio interactions, toxicity mechanisms, and development of antimicrobial agents. Over 70 publications and 18 concluded projects highlight her contributions to safer nanomaterials and their medical applications. She advises PhD students and actively participates in science communication through TEDx talks and media features.