
Narea García de Albeniz from SOCIEMAT won first place for her presentation on Laser-assisted surface modification of zirconia-based materials to guide osteoblast response for dental applications. Her thesis is aimed at improving the osseointegration of zirconia dental implants. Laser treatment approach was employed to engrave a microgroove pattern on the surface of dental zirconia, which enhanced mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and promoted cell elongation and alignment. Moreover, advanced characterization techniques were employed to characterize the surface damage and microstructural changes after the laser processing. On her win Narea said, ‘it has been a real pleasure to attend FEMS Junior EUROMAT Conference, even more to be one of the finalists and winner at the FEMS Master Thesis Award. There were really excellent research works and I am sure that we demonstrated the importance that material science has on everyday life’.

The FEMS Master Thesis Award recognises the best Master Thesis on Materials Science and Engineering and is presented annually by the FEMS Member Societies.