ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING

ZYGMUNT ŁUNIEWICZ, PhD, Eng, Arch.

Department of Architecture Conservation and Cultural Landscape Restoration Faculty of Architecture

“I research the architecture of Silesia, primarily in the early modern period, with a particular focus on towers,” says Zygmunt Łuniewicz, PhD. “In my work, I attempt to answer questions about the original appearance of the buildings, the ideological and structural aspects of their architecture, and the connections with various cultural phenomena at the time of their coming into being.

Moreover, the W1 researcher is involved in the study of iconography and the practical side of monument conservation.

Selected published work:

• Łuniewicz Z., Towers with golden orbs. motif of cupolaed spires with spherical supports. Biuletyn Historii Sztuki. 2024, T. 86, nr 2, s. 51-76. 
• Łuniewicz Z., Koźle czy Krosno? Reidentyfikacja weduty Krosl z cyklu obrazów z podróży palatyna Ottheinricha. Quart. 2021, nr 2, s. 53-68. 
• Łuniewicz Z., Nowożytne hełmy wieżowe na Śląsku : próba reinterpretacji pochodzenia. Quart. 2016, nr 3, s. 3-25. 

AUTOMATION, ELECTRONICS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY

VISHNU SURESH, PhD, Eng.

Department of Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering and Electrotechnology Faculty of Electrical Engineering

The research interests of the W2 researcher focus on energy forecasting, real-time energy management systems, and the application of machine learning techniques to power system operations.

“I’m primarily involved in developing very short-term forecasting models for renewable energy sources,” explains Vishnu Suresh, PhD. “Also, I’m working on a decision support framework using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to optimise the deployment and operation of energy assets.”

His research aims to combine advanced data-driven methods with practical network-oriented applications.

Selected published work:

• Suresh V., Janik P., Jasinski M., Guerrero J. M., Leonowicz, Z. (2023). Microgrid energy management using metaheuristic optimization algorithms. Applied Soft Computing, 134, 109981. 
• Kamali Saraji M., Streimikiene D., Suresh V. (2024). A novel two-stage multicriteria decision-making approach for selecting solar farm sites: A case study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 444, 141198. 
• Suresh V., Bazmohammadi N., Janik P., Guerrero J. M., Kaczorowska D., Rezmer J., Leonowicz, Z. (2021). Optimal location of an electrical vehicle charging station in a local microgrid using an embedded hybrid optimizer. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 131, 106979. 

TECHNICAL INFORMATICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

MATEUSZ GABOR, PhD, Eng.

Department of Field Theory, Electronic Circuits and Optoelectronics Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems

The research interests of the W12 researcher mainly concern matrix and tensor decomposition methods used in neural network compression and their applications in engineering problems.

“What’s more, I’m preoccupied with deep equilibrium models, non-linear Perron-Frobenius theory, and the application of machine learning and deep learning methods for solving inverse problems in science and engineering,” Mateusz Gabor, PhD reveals.

Selected published work:

• Gabor M., Zdunek R. Compressing convolutional neural networks with hierarchical Tucker-2 decomposition. Applied Soft Computing. 2023, vol. 132, art. 109856, s. 1-13.
• Gabor M., Piotrowski T., Cavalcante R. L. G. Positive concave deep equilibrium models. Proceedings of the 41st International Conference on Machine Learning, ICML 2024, 21-27 July 2024, s. 14365-14381.
• Gabor M., Zdunek R., Zimroz R., Wyłomańska A. Bearing damage detection with orthogonal and nonnegative low-rank feature extraction. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. 2024, vol. 20, nr 2, s. 2944-2955. 
  
  

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

PRZEMYSŁAW SAREŁO, PhD, Eng, MD

Department of Biomedical Engineering
Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology

On a day-to-day basis, the researcher deals with what happens to endothelial cells when the body faces inflammation over a long time – for example, in atherosclerosis and other chronic diseases.

“I’m interested in how paracrine communication between cells of a diseased vessel’s wall can exacerbate endothelial dysfunction,” Przemysław Sareło, PhD. “In parallel, I’m developing bioactive vascular stent coatings to obtain an anti-inflammatory effect and support vessel regeneration and function.

The W11 scientist hopes that this will allow him to look at cardiovascular disease therapy and the cause of therapeutic failures from a different perspective.  “This presents an interesting scientific challenge while adding an important clinical dimension to the research,” adds Dr Sareło.

Selected published work:

• Sareło, P., Sobieszczańska, B., Wysokińska, E., Gąsior-Głogowska, M., Kałas, W., Podbielska, H., Wawrzyńska, M., Kopaczyńska, M., 2023. In vitro examinations of the anti-inflammatory interleukin functionalized polydopamine based biomaterial as a potential coating for cardiovascular stents. Biocybern Biomed Eng, 43, s. 369–385.
• Obremska, M., Przybylski, R., Sokolski, M., Przewłocka-Kosmala, M., Rakowski, M., Ptak, J., Sareło, P., Zakliczyński, M., Kosmala, W. 2024. Left atrial functional and structural characteristics in patients after total and bicaval orthotopic heart transplantation. J Clin Med, 13(7643), s. 1–12.
• Rachwalik, M., Sareło, P., Obremska, M., Matusiewicz, M., Sett K. S., Czapla, M., Jasiński, M., Hurkacz, M., 2024. Resistin concentrations in perivascular adipose tissue as a highly sensitive marker of smoking status in patients with advanced coronary artery disease requiring coronary artery bypass grafting. Front Public Health, 12(1484195), s. 1–12.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

FILIP FORMALIK, PhD, Eng.

Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Micro and Nanoengineering
Faculty of Chemistry

In his research, using computational methods, he designs novel porous materials for applications such as CO₂ reduction, water extraction under low humidity conditions, or reduction of energy consumption in separation processes and cooling.

“This research is rudimentary, but provides the necessary knowledge for the practical use of these materials,” says Filip Formalik, PhD. “More broadly, my goal is to create sustainable and scientifically grounded solutions that reduce human impact on the environment while maintaining the comfort of life and the efficiency of technology.”

Selected published work:

• Formalik F., Mazur B., Joodaki F., Kuchta B., Snurr R. Q. Small Rotations, Big Effects: Lessons from Water Adsorption in NU-1000. J. Phys. Chem. C 2025. 
• Formalik F., Chen H., Snurr R. Q. Avoiding Pitfalls in Molecular Simulation of Vapor Sorption: Example of Propane and Isobutane in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Adsorption Cooling Applications. The Journal of Chemical Physics 2024, 160 (18), 184118.
• Khoshooei M. A., Wang X., Vitale G., Formalik F., Kirlikovali K. O., Snurr, R. Q., Pereira- Almao P., Farha O. K. An Active, Stable Cubic Molybdenum Carbide Catalyst for the High- Temperature Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction. Science 2024. 

CIVIL ENGINEERING, GEODESY AND TRANSPORT

JEONGHYUN KIM, PhD

Department of Civil Engineering Structures
Faculty of Civil Engineering

The W2 scientist's research focuses on the sustainable recycling of previously used concrete materials. “I’m particularly keen to achieve two goals: efficient use of CO₂ and improved material yield,” says Jeonghyun Kim, PhD. “I’m investigating how multiple recycling combined with CO₂ injection affects the strength, durability, economic viability, and environmental impact of concrete.

The work is a combination of laboratory experiments and machine learning-based modelling.”

Selected published work:

• Kim, J. (2025). Challenges with hard-to-learn data in developing machine learning models for predicting the strength of multi-recycled aggregate concrete. Applied Soft Computing, 113110. 
• Kim, J., Nciri, N., Sicakova, A., & Kim, N. (2023). Characteristics of waste concrete powders from multi-recycled coarse aggregate concrete and their effects as cement replacements. Construction and Building Materials, 398, 132525.
• Kim, J. (2022). Influence of quality of recycled aggregates on the mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concretes: An overview. Construction and Building Materials, 328, 127071. 

MATERIAL ENGINEERING

ŁUKASZ PRZYPIS, PhD, Eng.

Department of Semiconductor Materials Engineering
Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology

His research interests focus on organic-inorganic hybrid materials for optoelectronics applications, such as perovskite-based solar cells. “I specialise in both classic lead systems and alternative lead-free tin-based materials,” says Łukasz Przypis, PhD. “In parallel, I’m developing methods for the chemical recycling of PbI₂, which fits in with the sustainable development of technology.”

The researcher is currently working at Saule i Saule Research Institute, where he intends to apply the experience he has gained to putting the perovskite technology into business use.

Selected published work:

• Żuraw, W.; Kubicki, D.; Kudrawiec, R.; Przypis, Ł. Carboxylic Acid-Assisted Synthesis of Tin(II) Iodide: Key for Stable Large-Area Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS Energy Lett 2024, 4509–4515. 
• Przypis, Ł.; Żuraw, W.; Grodzicki, M.; Ścigaj, M.; Kudrawiec, R.; Herman, A. P. Facile Preparation of Large-Area, Ultrathin, Flexible Semi-Transparent Perovskite Solar Cells via Spin-Coating. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2024, 7 (11), 4803–4812.
• Wąsiak-Maciejak, A.; Przypis, Ł.; Żuraw, W.; Rycek, K.; Janicka, P.; Ścigaj, M.; Dyk, K.; Lai, H.; Piejko, A.; Pucicki, D.; Fu, F.; Kinzhybalo, V.; Wojciechowski, K. Compositional and Interfacial Engineering for Improved Light Stability of Flexible Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells. J Mater Chem A 2025.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ALEKSANDRA KRÓLICKA, PhD, Eng.

Department of Plastic Forming, Welding and Metrology
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Her research interests include the design of new steel grades and advanced methods for characterising the structure of materials.

“I use electron microscopy methods (SEM/TEM/EBSD) in my research to control the structure of materials,” explains Aleksandra Królicka, PhD. “My current focus is on finding new material solutions and optimising the structure of bainitic steels with regard to their mechanical and performance-related properties under demanding operating conditions (e.g. rails, forging tools, and structural components operating at elevated temperatures).

Selected published work:

• Królicka A. B., Sikora M., Caballero F. G., Żak A. M. In-situ TEM/STEM observations of intermetallic growth and reverse transformation of ultra-fine bainitic steel. Nano Today. 2025, vol. 61, art. 102637, s. 1-16.
• Królicka A. B., Zwierzchowski M., Janik A., Zygmunt T., Kuziak R.. Wear performance of carbide-free bainitic rail under five years of exploitation in heavy-loaded industrial tracks. Wear. 2025, art. 206048, s. 1-30.
• Królicka A., Żak A. M., Caballero F. G. Revealing intermetallic strengthening in bainitic steel designed for nickel aluminide formation. Scripta Materialia. 2024, vol. 249, art. 116153, s. 1-6.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, MINING, AND POWER ENGINEERING

PAWEŁ PACYGA, PhD, Eng.

Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources
Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering

His research consists in numerical modelling of hybrid energy systems based on renewable energy sources. “I’m also looking at the possibilities of using RES and natural resources in the context of improving the quality of human life and animal welfare,” says Paweł Pacyga, PhD.

Selected published work:

• Nemś A., Nemś M. A., Pacyga P. W., Bevilacqua P. Thermo-hydraulic performance of a parabolic trough solar collector filled with three different waste materials. Renewable Energy. 2024, vol. 236, art. 121421, s. 1-15.
• Pacyga K., Pacyga P. W., Topola E., Viscardi S., Duda-Madej A. Bioactive compounds from plant origin as natural antimicrobial agents for the treatment of wound infections. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024, vol. 25, nr 4, art. 2100, s. 1-44. 
• Pacyga K., Pacyga P. W., Szuba E., Viscardi S., Topola E., Duda-Madej A. Nanotechnology meets phytotherapy: a cutting-edge approach to treat bacterial infections. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025, vol. 26, nr 3, art. 1254, s. 1-25.

MATHEMATICS

MAREK SKARUPSKI, PhD

Department of Applied Mathematics
Faculty of Mathematics

The research interest of the winner hailing from W13 is statistical methods for survival analysis in applications in medical science and technology.

“I’m currently focusing on Bayesian methods in reliability theory, in particular Crow-AMSAA models,” says Marek Skarupski, PhD. “I value interdisciplinarity in my work, which is why I collaborate with Wrocław University of Medicine and the Dutch company ASML, among other entities.”

Selected published work:

• Skarupski, M., Wu, Q. Confidence bounds for compound Poisson process. Stat Papers 65, 5351–5377 (2024). 
• Karasek M., Armatys A., Skarupski M., Bołkun Ł., Budziszewska K., Drozd-Sokołowska J., Zarzycka E., Mensah-Glanowska P., Gajewska M., Hałka J.  A hybrid protocol CLAG-M, a possible player for the first-line therapy of patients with mixed phenotype acute leukemia. A Polish Adult Leukemia Group experience, Frontiers in Oncology, Vol. 14, (2024).
• Sobas, M., Knopinska-Posluszny, W., Piątkowska-Jakubas, B., Skarupski, M. Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of second neoplasms in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia: the PETHEMA-PALG experience. Ann Hematol 103, 451–461 (2024). 

CHEMICAL SCIENCES

JAN ZARĘBA, PhD, Eng.

Institute of Advanced Materials
Faculty of Chemistry

“My research interests focus on the study of new optical materials such as hybrid perovskites or coordination polymers that exhibit optical non-linear properties, including radiation harmonic generation and two-photon absorption,” explains Jan Zaręba, PhD.

Over the past few years, the study of structurally non-centrosymmetric materials by means of the phenomenon of second harmonic generation, and in particular the study of the temperature-switching phenomenon of this effect, has become a significant research topic.

“The inclusion of research on another phenomenon related to non-centrosymmetry, the piezoelectric effect, has been a considerable extension of the ongoing work on non-centrosymmetric compounds,” explains the W3 scientist. Another important leg of his research is his efforts aimed at inducing structurally directed photochemical reactions in coordination materials and supramolecular networks using two-photon absorption.

Selected published work:

• Mączka, M.; Zaręba, J. K.; Gągor, A.; Fedoruk-Piskorska, K.; Stefańska, D.; Drozdowski, D.; Ptak, M.; Sieradzki, A. Multi-Noncentrosymmetric Polar Order in 2D Hybrid Lead Chloride with Broadband Emission and High-Temperature Second-Harmonic Generation Switching. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2024, 16, 44, 60564–60575.
• Mączka, M.; Zaręba, J. K.; Nowok, A.; Sokołowski, N.; Sieradzki, A.; Gągor, A.; Ptak, M. Two-Dimensional Lead Iodide Perovskites with Extremely Reduced Dielectric Confinement: Embedded Self-Erasing Second-Harmonic Generation Switching, Thermochromism, and Photoluminescence. Chem. Mater. 2024, 36, 21, 10758–10772.
• Sahoo, S.; Mukherjee, S.; Sharma, V.B.; Hernández, W.I.; Garcia-Castro, A.C.; Zaręba, J.K.; Kabra, D.; Vaitheeswaran, G.; Boomishankar, R. A Chiral B‐N Adduct as a New Frontier in Ferroelectrics and Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2024, 63, 18 art. e202400366.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

SZYMON ZELEWSKI, PhD, Eng.

Department of Experimental Physics
Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology

His scientific work focuses on research combining optical excitation with temperature detection – so-called photothermal conversion. “It can be used for the non-contact determination of parameters related to heat transport in materials with high spatial resolution, as well as for the study of their optical (absorption) properties with sensitivity many times greater than in traditional experimental methods,” explains Szymon Zelewski, PhD.

The research he is undertaking is of considerable importance in the development of modern semiconductor devices, particularly in terms of reducing thermal losses in thin-film optoelectronic structures. “Also, I hope that our work will mean an important contribution to the methodology of nanoscale photothermal research, as well as contribute to the development of new sources of renewable energy,” adds the winner from W11.

Selected published work:

• Zelewski S. J., Nawrot K. C., Żak A., Gładysiewicz M., Nyk M., Kudrawiec R. Exciton Binding Energy of Two-Dimensional Highly Luminescent Colloidal Nanostructures Determined from Combined Optical and Photoacoustic Spectroscopies, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2019, 10, 12, 3459–3464.
• Lu X., Deng Y., He S., Zhu X., Zelewski S. J., Wang H., Ren A., Zhou X., Wu J., Li X., Zeng J., Dai X., Shen Q., Chen D., Penty R. V., Friend R. H., Jin Y., Accelerated response speed of quantum- dot light-emitting diodes by hole-trap-induced excitation memory, Nature Electronics (2025).
• Sun Y., Ge L., Dai L., Cho C., Ferrer Orri J., Ji K., Zelewski S. J., Liu Y., Mirabelli A. J., Zhang Y., Huang J.-Y., Wang Y., Gong K., Lai M. C., Zhang L., Yang D., Lin J., Tennyson E. M., Ducati C., Stranks S. D., Cui L.-S., Greenham N. C., Bright and stable perovskite light-emitting diodes in the near-infrared range, Nature 615, 830–835 (2023).

MEDICAL SCIENCES

ALEKSANDRA KUZAN, PhD

Department of Preclinical Sciences, Pharmacology and Medical Diagnostics
Faculty of Medicine

Dr Aleksandra Kuzan's main scientific interests include the mechanisms of glycation and the role of advanced glycation products in the development of various metabolic diseases (diabetes, atherosclerosis or thyroid diseases).

“In recent years, I have also carried out projects on the molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases, as well as metallomics in various tissues (arteries, thyroid, placenta),” says the W14 academic. “I’m fascinated by the possibility of discovering the pathomechanisms of civilisation diseases through the application of modern methods of biochemistry, histology, and other pre-clinical sciences.”

Selected published work:

• Kuzan A., Rewak-Soroczyńska J., Kardach M., Królewicz E., Kaliszewski K., Wiglusz R.. Multi-element analysis of metals in human pathological and unchanged thyroid glands - pilot study. Thyroid Res. 2024 May 20;17(1):11.
• Kuzan A., Królewicz E., Nowakowska K., Stach K., Kaliszewski K., Domosławski P., Kotyra Ł., Gamian A., Kustrzeba-Wójcicka I. Contribution of Glycation and Oxidative Stress to Thyroid Gland Pathology-A Pilot Study. Biomolecules. 2021 Apr 10;11(4):557.
• Indyk D., Bronowicka-Szydełko A., Gamian A., Kuzan A. Advanced glycation end products and their receptors in serum of patients with type 2 diabetes. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 24;11(1):13264.

MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY SCIENCES

ASHA THOMAS, PhD

Department of Operational Research and Business Intelligence
Faculty of Management

She is currently researching meaningless working practices in organisations. “My broader research interests include knowledge management, digital transformation, and innovation,” explains Asha Thomas, PhD. “I use a mixed methods approach that includes systematic reviews, qualitative research, empirical analysis, and the development and validation of measurement scales.”

Four of the researcher’s papers to date are among the most downloaded articles in industry journals, and her article on the resilience framework in tourism was among the 1% most cited publications in the Web of Science database for 2022.

Selected published work:

• Thomas, A. (2024). Knowledge management, leadership, and innovation in digital transformation: Navigating the future of organizations. London: Routledge.
• Saviano, M., Thomas, A., Del Prete, M., Verderese, D., & Sasso, P. (2025). The impact of new generative AI chatbots on the switch point (SP): Toward an artificial emotional awareness (AEA). European Journal of Innovation Management, ahead-of-print.
• Thomas, A., & Gupta, V. (2022). Tacit knowledge in organizations: Bibliometrics and a framework-based systematic review of antecedents, outcomes, theories, methods and future directions. Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(4), 1014–1041.