We are excited to announce the expansion of our team with two new wonderful colleagues: our MEMS Development Manager, Vasilis, as well as our Lab Manager and Quality Control Engineer, Erkin.
A prime focus of DENSsolutions is the innovation and further development of our in situ microscopy solutions, including those catered to the life science community. With this goal in mind, we wanted to expand our team with someone who could lead the development of our MEMS technology for liquid phase transmission electron microscopy. Over the past 15 years, Vasilis has acquired a unique and diverse pool of knowledge within numerous fields, including micro-/nanotechnology, Lab-on-a-Chip devices and life science applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and wearable optical biosensors. His role at DENSsolutions is focused on the development of new MEMS devices which will enable advanced in situ microscopy solutions for the scientific community.
Aside from innovation, DENSsolutions recognizes the need to deliver top-quality products that not only meet but exceed customer expectations. This is precisely the value that Erkin will bring forth in light of his five-year experience in quality control at the leading automotive and aerospace companies in Turkey. Erkin will be responsible for the internal and supplier-side quality control activities at DENSsolutions, as well as the implementation of valuable quality control tools to DENSsolutions processes. We asked Vasilis and Erkin to introduce themselves so you can learn more about their education, experience and role at DENSsolutions.
Meet Dr. Vasilis Papadimitriou
“My name is Vasilis Papadimitriou and I am 33 years old. I was born and raised in a small town called Levadia in Greece, and in 2013 I moved to the Netherlands.
In 2006, I started my Bachelor in Electronics and Computer Engineering at the Technical University of Crete in Greece. After that, I pursued a Master’s degree in the same field where I focused on programming, electronics and telecommunications. For my MSc thesis, I investigated the use of DNA for complex mathematical algorithms (DNA computing). After my military service, I moved to the Netherlands in 2013 and dived into the world of micro-/nanotechnology as part of my MSc in Electrical Engineering at the University of Twente. During this MSc thesis, I created a novel carbon electrode for use in supercapacitors, which granted me deep insights into electrochemistry and fluid mechanics.
After that, I decided to continue my studies with a PhD in University of Twente. The focus of my doctorate was on Lab-on-a-Chip devices. I’ve always enjoyed multidisciplinary science, and Lab-on-a-Chip devices integrate numerous fields such as microtechnology, physics, chemistry, biology and electrical engineering. The European project that my PhD was part of focused on the development of a point-of-care device for early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. My role was to separate and concentrate specific proteins from a droplet of blood. In 2019, I received my doctorate degree and since then, I have had two postdoctoral positions: one on artificial intelligence for Lab-on-a-Chip applications at the University of Twente, and another on wearable optical biosensors at the Technical University of Delft.
That brings us to today, where I am really happy to be part of the DENSsolutions team. Actually, I wasn’t previously familiar with in situ microscopy nor the company, which is really unfortunate since their (and now our!) products could have solved many of the challenges I faced during my PhD and postdoctoral work. My main role at DENSsolutions is to investigate new technologies and develop intelligent MEMS devices that will make electron microscopy easier, faster and reproducible. With more than 15 years of experience within academia, I am very much well-acquainted with the struggles of research. I hope through DENSsolutions I will make the lives of scientists easier, while at the same time expanding my engineering and scientific horizons.”
Meet Erkin Demir
“My name is Erkin Demir. I am a 28-year-old individual of Circassian origin who was born and raised in Turkey. As of February 2022, I moved to the Netherlands for my exciting new role at DENSsolutions.
I started my Bachelor in Gazi University in the field of metallurgical and materials engineering. For my Bachelor’s thesis, I did research on the current and potential uses of graphene. After my undergraduate degree, I started working as a Quality Engineer in Bozankaya, a top manufacturer for public transportation vehicles in Turkey. There, I had the opportunity of managing the supplier deployment and incoming quality control processes of the first domestic 100% electric buses and trams. This job granted me my first exposure into the intricacies and importance of quality control for the delivery of top-quality products. As a next step in my career, I became a Quality Engineer at Erkunt Tractor Ind. Inc., an renowned tractor manufacturer in Turkey. This position helped me obtain deeper insights into field of quality control as a whole, as I was involved in areas such as mass production, lean manufacturing, supplier development, 5S and similar processes.
Afterwards, I landed a job as a Lead Quality Engineer at the Tusaş Engine Industry Inc., the leading aviation engine manufacturer in Turkey. During my work there, I was fully responsible for the quality side of the NPI processes of some parts in aircraft engine programs. I worked on the implementation of advanced measurement methods to ensure the high precision and safety conditions associated with the aviation industry. I obtained a lean 6 Sigma yellow belt and AS 13001 DPRV certification after completing related courses and exams. Thanks to this SAE authorization, I became eligible to sell aero engine parts on an international level. In parallel with this position, I completed my Master’s degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Gazi University in 2020. For my Master’s thesis, I examined the performance of high temperature diffusion coatings on the corrosion resistance of nickel-based superalloys used in high pressure turbine blades.
Here I am now, a different country, a different industry, and some awesome teammates. I couldn’t be more excited and curious to embark on this new journey. My main role at DENSsolutions is to ensure the proper functioning of all our products so that our customers can conduct their research without disturbance. This includes performing meticulous inspections and tests at our lab on our world-class MEMS devices, TEM holders and fluid handling systems. Moreover, I will be working very closely with suppliers to ensure the highest possible quality level for our products. I am excited to be deploying all the best practices I have learned over the years into DENSsolutions, adding value step by step.”
Get in touch with
Vasilis
Erkin
Vasilis
Erkin
