Non-permanent members & alumni

Svetlana Samokhvalova

I obtained my B. Sc. in chemistry from the Saint Petersburg State University (Russia) and M.Sc. in complex systems chemistry from the University of Strasbourg. I then joined the Laboratory of Chemistry of Informational Macromolecules for my PhD project under the supervision of Dr. Jean-François Lutz. During my PhD I worked on information transfer in sequence-defined polymers. Currently I am a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago. I am working on electricity-based techniques for spatial and temporal control over coacervate systems.

Fiza Akbar

I am a postdoctoral researcher specializing in heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, and solid-state chemistry. I combine advanced synthesis techniques with structural and spectroscopic characterization to design efficient catalytic systems. Passionate about bridging fundamental research and real-world impact, I actively collaborate across disciplines to advance clean energy solutions. My previous work focused and electric field-assisted ammonia synthesis (TotalEnergies). Currently, I develop electrocatalysts with properties at the nanoscale for electrochemical CO₂ fixation, mimicking biological pathways to form value added chemicals such as acetate and pyruvate, in a collaboration between Syensqo, Prof. Joseph Moran (University of Ottawa) and Dr. Yannick Geiger.

Ahmad Bachir

I was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, where I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences. I received a scholarship from the CSC Graduate School, which allowed me to pursue my Master’s degree. I then completed my PhD in the Laboratory of Driven Chemical Processes at ISIS under the supervision of Pr. Giulio Ragazzon, where I focused on the synthesis and characterization of electroactive supramolecular interlocked structures. Following my PhD, I joined the Systems Chemistry group with Dr. Yannick Geiger as a postdoctoral researcher, where I am currently working on the design of self-replicating chemical systems.
Outside the lab, I enjoy creating perfumes, gym, and cooking.

Lunan Yan （严璐楠）

I come from Pucheng County, Fujian Province, China. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology Beijing,  and my Master’s degree from the Guangzhou Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. I am a recipient of the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and pursue my doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago.

Malak Jaber

I am Lebanese, born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon, where my growing interest in systems chemistry inspired me to pursue graduate studies abroad. I was awarded a scholarship to join the Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School in Strasbourg, France, where I completed my Master’s degree. During my academic journey, I gained diverse research experience through three internships: with Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago and Prof. Thomas Hermans on coacervate systems, with Dr. Claudia Bonfio on the synthesis of prebiotically plausible ether lipids, and with Dr. Giulio Ragazzon on endergonic chemical reaction networks. These projects helped shape my interest in self-assembly and dynamic chemical systems and led me to pursue a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago. My work focuses on controlling self-assembly and crystallization within stimuli-responsive coacervate microcompartments.
Outside of research, I serve as the President of the Amicale de la Complex Systems Chemistry (ACSC) student association. I also enjoy singing, drawing, and cooking.

Sayed Suliman Shah

I was born and raised in Dir Upper, in the highlands of northern Pakistan, and obtained my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, where I conducted my thesis on phytochemical screening of medicinal plants. I pursued graduate studies at Complex Systems Chemistry Graduate School, University of Strasbourg, completing a master’s degree with research internships under the supervision of Prof. Jean-François Nierengarten, Dr. Giulio Ragazzon, and Prof. Nicolas Giuseppone, focusing on molecular machines and motors. Then, I began my PhD in Prof. Jean-François Nierengarten’s group at LIMA, working on fullerene-based rotaxanes and catenanes as prototypes for molecular machine, before moving to Institut Le Bel to pursue my current project on out-of-equilibrium coacervates driven by electricity and electrochemistry under the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago and Dr. Yannick Geiger.

Rosa Allotta

I come from Sant’Antioco, a small town in the south-west of Sardinia, Italy. I got both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry from the University of Cagliari, in Italy. In March 2026, I joined the Systems Chemistry group as an assistant engineer, where I am currently working on aggregation phenomena in prebiotically relevant chemical reaction networks. In September 2026, I will start my PhD in the same group, under the supervision of Dr. Yannick Geiger. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, playing board games and traveling.  

Shahrazad Michel

I was born in Casablanca and grew up in Agadir (Morocco), where I obtained my baccalaureate in experimental sciences. I then moved to Strasbourg to pursue a bachelor’s deree in molecular chemistry. As part of my studies, I joined the research group of Dr. Guillermo Monreal Santiago, where I work on the kinetics of reactions in coacervate complexes. This 1^st-year Master internship deepens my understanding of dynamic chemical systems.

Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking and I am also interested in botany and aquariophilia. 

Carlos Tadeo Aguilar-Mondelo

I was born and raised in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, where I completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Guanajuato. In 2023, I had the opportunity to undertake a short placement at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, which sparked my interest in complex systems. I am currently a first-year Master’s student at the CSC Graduate School, working on asymmetric autocatalysis under the supervision of Dr Yannick Geiger. Outside of the lab, I enjoy seeking out great coffee and photography.

Jihane El Hajji El Bekkaoui

I was born and raised in Girona, Spain, and moved to Strasbourg when I was 12. After completing two years of preparatory classes at ECPM, I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Chemistry. I am now a first-year Master’s student in Analytical Chemistry. During my current internship with Dr Yannick Geiger, I am discovering this field from a new perspective, which has further increased my interest in it. Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking and listening to music. Coming from a multicultural Moroccan background, I am also very interested in learning languages, traveling, and discovering new cultures.