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RWTH Aachen celebrates two outstanding Schmidt Science Fellows!
Dr. Aman Ishaqat and Dr. Marvin Mendel from RWTH Aachen will receive the Schmidt Science Fellowship 2025 for their innovative research.
RWTH Aachen celebrates two outstanding Schmidt Science Fellows!
Today, April 3, 2025, Dr. Aman Ishaqat and Dr. Marvin Mendel announced as part of the Schmidt Science Fellowship 2025. Both are researchers at RWTH Aachen University and are taking a significant step in their scientific careers by dealing with innovative topics such as drug release and homogeneous catalysis. This nomination is special because it is the first time that researchers from RWTH Aachen have been selected for this prestigious fellowship.
A total of 32 young scientists from 27 universities and 15 nationalities were accepted as Schmidt Science Fellows. This expands the community to 209 fellows from almost 40 countries. The Schmidt Science Fellowship program was launched in 2017, initiated by Schmidt Sciences in cooperation with the Rhodes Trust. It offers a scholarship of US$100,000 per year for a one to two-year postdoctoral stay at renowned research institutions worldwide.
Research by Dr. Aman Ishaqat
Dr. Aman Ishaqat completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Jordan and is currently doing her doctorate at RWTH Aachen. Her research at the DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e.V. focuses on innovative methods for the targeted release of active ingredients.
She developed two novel strategies that use ultrasound and enzymes as triggers. The focus of her work is a mechanoresponsive drug carrier based on DNA nanomaterials that reacts to medical ultrasound. These approaches could also be applied to small molecules and proteins. Ishaqat plans to switch from biomedical sciences to immunology to continue her research in a new field.
Dr. Marvin Mendel's contribution to chemistry
Dr. Marvin Mendel, a top-of-year chemistry major at the University of Ulm and RWTH Aachen, researched catalytic methods for the modular synthesis of complex molecules during his doctorate. He developed new chemical methods using dinuclear palladium and nickel catalysts.
A significant part of his work was the discovery of a new reactivity of a Ni(I) metallo radical, which challenges existing concepts about radicals. Mendel's switch from organic chemistry to bioengineering opens up new perspectives for him, which he would like to pursue further as part of the fellowship.
Promoting young scientists is also a central concern of other programs. One example is the Emil Fischer Fellowship Program, which was launched in 2011 at the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy. Its aim is to actively promote the best talent in science and to provide incentives for top performance in order to ensure early independence in research and teaching.
Dr. Aman Ishaqat and Dr. Marvin Mendel exemplifies the quality of research at RWTH Aachen and the promising careers that can be promoted through such fellowships. Their success underlines the importance of international collaboration and innovation in science.