Salvatore Azzollini wins the I-PhD Award
Salvatore Azzollini, a PhD student in the team headed by Kate Grieve, has been working for several years on a revolutionary project in the field of high-resolution microscopy. Specializing in the design and production of label-free microscopes, he has distinguished himself with an innovative thesis project that could transform the field of cellular imaging. A project which has just won him the I-PhD Prize in the Innovations Competition.
The core of his project is the development of a microscopy module adaptable to any type of commercial microscope. This module, which has been operating successfully for three years at the Institute, is based on a technique called dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography. This technology enables real-time analysis of the metabolic state of living cells within three-dimensional samples. In other words, it offers unprecedented insight into cellular processes without the need for labeling, a breakthrough that could have major repercussions in biological and medical research.
Salvatore Azzollini has won the prestigious iPhD Prize, a program that offers one-year support to young researchers to help them transform their thesis project into a viable business. Thanks to this prize, he will benefit from the support of industry experts - entrepreneurs, investors and consultants - as well as access to the BPIFrance network, which brings together the main players in the field of entrepreneurship in France. With this support, the young researcher hopes to develop his project into a commercial application, with the aim of entering the biotech/medtech market.
“I hope that this support will guide me and help me to develop this project on a commercial level, with entry into the biotech/medtech market”, he confides.
As a foreign researcher in France, he is particularly honored by this recognition.
“It's an honor and a great source of pride to have been recognized by the French government and the BPI as a resource to rely on for the future, especially as a foreigner doing research in France,” he adds with emotion.
He would like to extend his warmest thanks to the Institut, which supported him as he explored the commercial potential of his technology, and to Director Serge Picaud for his guidance throughout the process.
Salvatore Azzollini perfectly embodies this new generation of researchers whose discoveries are no longer confined to the laboratory, but are also finding their way into the world of entrepreneurship. Thanks to initiatives such as the iPhD prize, his project could well become a key player in the medical technology market in the near future.