Public defence: Saloua Saghir

Saloua Saghir will defend her PhD degree in Technology. This doctoral research introduces a manufacturing platform for ultra-thin, flexible and conformable neuroelectronic interface devices that seamlessly blend soft materials with high-performance electronics, paving the way for safer, longer-lasting bioelectronic devices to treat neurological conditions and restore lost sensory or motor functions.

23 Nov

Practical information

  • Date: 23 November 2026
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.30
  • Location: Vestfold, A1-36
  • Download calendar file

    • Link to digital participation (Zoom)

    Program

    10.00-11.00: Trial lecture: TBA

    12.00-15.30: Public defence: Microfabrication of flexible neuroelectronic interfaces with integrated biomaterials

    Assessment committee

    • First opponent: Professor Emeritus Marc Desmulliez, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
    • Second opponent: Senior Research Scientist Enrique Escobedo-Cousin, SINTEF
    • Administrator: Professor Anna Pachol, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Supervisors

    • Main supervisor: Associate Professor Giuseppe Schiavone, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Co-supervisors: Associate Professor Kristin Imenes, University of South-Eastern Norway, Professor Knut Eilif Aasmundtveit, University of South-Eastern Norway, Associate Professor Athina Samara, UiO

    Chair of defence

Any questions?

Smilende kvinne i en mønstret bluse som står utendørs mot en steinete bakgrunnSaloua Saghir is defending her thesis for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

She has pursued the PhD program in Technology at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, Department of Microsystems.

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

  • Link to the thesis will come here

Summary

Neuroelectronic interfaces have considerable potential in medicine, but their long-term clinical use is limited by mechanical, electrical, and biological mismatches between the devices and neural tissue. This thesis addresses all three challenges through a microfabrication platform built on three complementary components. 

The first building block focuses on microfabricating flexible polyimide-based devices. Using polymer substrates and semiconductor lithography, devices with thicknesses down to 4.5 µm were successfully fabricated, establishing a framework that balances performance and process reproducibility. 

The second building block tackles the electrical mismatch using dual electronic-ionic conducting polymer coating. PEDOT:Polydopamine electrodeposited onto gold electrodes provided a ~ 9-fold increase in electroactive surface area, a ~2-fold reduction in impedance at 1 kHz, and a ~470-fold reduction at 1 Hz. Additionally, a hyaluronic acid-grafted composite (PEDOT:DAHA) proved that the dopamine backbone can serve as a chemical scaffold for biomolecule conjugation. 

The third building block addresses inflammatory protein adsorption by integrating a photopatternable glycidyl methacrylate hyaluronic acid hydrogel as an encapsulation layer. Mimicking the extracellular matrix, this hydrogel promotes a progenitor-like cellular phenotype in surrounding cells, which can support tissue repair, improve implant integration, and reduce the risk of fibrotic encapsulation.

Taken together, these three building blocks demonstrate that the mechanical, electrical, and biological gaps between implanted electronics and neural tissue can be successfully bridged within a single platform.