Staff

LAMA MilenaSpecially Appointed Assistant Professor

Laboratory
Laboratory of Soft Matter Structure & Physics
Research Theme
Synthesis, structure and physico-chemical properties of polymer gels
Research Keywords

Soft matter, Hydrogel, Self-assembly, Materials Chemistry, Physical characterization, Functional materials, Biomimetic biomaterials

Overview of Research

My research focuses on the design and synthesis of soft and biomimetic polymer gels to elucidate their structure–property relationships and uncover the principles governing their macroscopic behavior. By combining chemical synthesis with physical characterization techniques such as scattering, microscopy, and rheology, I explore how molecular and supramolecular organization control macroscopic functions. Through these studies, I aim to bridge the gap between fundamental soft-matter science and biomedical or functional material applications. Ultimately, my goal is to create soft materials that not only mimic but also surpass the adaptive and functional properties of living tissues.

Charge

Message

I graduated as a civil and environmental engineer, where I learned about (hard) concrete, metallic structures and urban planning. I am now a researcher working with (soft) jelly-like and rubber-like materials, and experiment planning replaced city planning. Conclusion of the story: if you are curious and motivated, anything is possible!

My motto : « think out of the box »

Representative Publications

  1. Lama, M., Merle, M., Bessot, E., Bussola Tovani, C., Laurent, G., Bouland, N., Kerdjoudj, H., Azaïs, T., Ducouret, G., Bortolotto, T. and Nassif, N., 2024. Hierarchical Collagen/Apatite Co-assembly for Injection of Mineralized Fibrillar Tissue Analogues. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 11(1), pp.564-576. 
  2. Lama, M. and Gong, J.P., 2023. Mechanical reinforcement of lamellar bilayer hydrogels by small amounts of co-surfactants. ACS omega, 8(28), pp.25185-25194. 
  3. Lama, M., Raveendranathan, B., Brun, J., Fernandes, F.M., Boissiere, C., Nassif, N. and Marcellan, A., 2021. Biomimetic Tough Gels with Weak Bonds Unravel the Role of Collagen from Fibril to Suprafibrillar Self‐Assembly. Macromolecular Bioscience, 21(6), p.2000435. 
  4. Lama, M., Fernandes, F.M., Marcellan, A., Peltzer, J., Trouillas, M., Banzet, S., Grosbot, M., Sanchez, C., Giraud‐Guille, M.M., Lataillade, J.J. and Coulomb, B., 2020. Self‐assembled collagen microparticles by aerosol as a versatile platform for injectable anisotropic materials. Small, 16(4), p.1902224.

Note

<Office Hour>
– Time: Anytime during the lecture period
– Place: Frontier-AMLS, 6F
Please contact in advance by E-mail.
E-mail: lama[at]sci.hokudai.ac.jp

Affiliation