Maria Lopera awarded prestigious SPIE Optics and Photonics Scholarship

Maria Lopera, PhD student at B-PHOT Brussels Photonics, has been honoured with the distinguished SPIE Optics and Photonics Scholarship, valued at $5,000. The scholarship is conferred by SPIE, the leading international society for optics and photonics, and recognizes outstanding academic and research achievements in the field.

Selected by the 2024 SPIE President and the Scholarship Committee, Maria's award underscores her significant contributions and potential in optics and photonics. This prestigious scholarship will provide partial assistance for her tuition fees, and other course-related expenses as she continues to advance her educational and professional goals within this dynamic and impactful scientific domain.

SPIE, renowned for fostering innovation and excellence in optics and photonics, supports aspiring scientists and researchers through such scholarships, ensuring the continued growth and development of these critical fields. Maria's selection not only highlights her personal achievements but also reflects the high caliber of research and education at B-PHOT Brussels Photonics.

Maria is currently enrolled in a joint PhD programme, under the guidance of Prof. Heidi Ottevaere, Prof. Yunfeng Nie (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Prof. Carlos Trujillo (Universidad EAFIT, Colombia). Her research revolves around holography, with a focus on the development of miniaturized and cost-effective devices. Additionally, she incorporates software-based enhancements into her research, with the goal of creating technology applicable to both medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. In her PhD project, Maria, who holds a FWO Fundamental Research Fellowship (11PGG24N), is dedicated to the development of a lensless holographic system. This system aims to detect microplastics and microorganisms present in freshwater sources.