This spring, two Marie Curie fellows crossed paths in the same laboratory at TalTech – one arriving, one departing. In an interesting coincidence, both researchers are from Ukraine.
Dr Denys Bondar and Dr Albina Mikhraliieva are affiliated with Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering research group at the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, and both have been awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fellowships — among the most competitive research funding schemes in Europe.
Denys Bondar, who completed his PhD at TalTech, received a European Fellowship to continue his research at Ghent University in Belgium. Albina Mikhraliieva joined the group in Estonia with an MSCA4Ukraine grant – a special programme designed to support researchers displaced due to the war in Ukraine.
Dr Yevgen Karpichev, head of the Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering research group, notes that „these two cases demonstrate that, while TalTech is not a world-top university according to the international university rankings, we prepare PhD holders well enough to succeed in European competitions, including the most advanced ones such as MSCA. Importantly, our university has been evaluated competitively and meets the standards for hosting MSCA fellows".
Dr Karpichev’s research group integrates green chemistry, renewable resources, and advanced formulations to develop safer drugs, sustainable materials and smarter responses to chemical and biological risks – for example, by turning lignin and nanomaterials into real-world solutions.
Denys Bondar will be advancing cancer research at Ghent University
Dr Bondar completed his studies at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Subsequently, he enrolled at TalTech to become the first PhD candidate to complete and defend his thesis within the University’s Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering research group, under the supervision of Dr. Yevgen Karpichev. This summer, Denys will join Prof. Steven Nolan’s top-level research group at Ghent University. Dr Bondar´s research focuses on innovative and sustainable medicinal chemistry approaches with the focus on developing efficient and selective anticancer drugs. Prof. Nolan´s group, internationally recognised for pioneering work in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) chemistry, offers an exceptional environment for advancing Dr Bondar´s research on metal-based drugs.
Denys’s path to Ghent University was shaped by prior academic connections: Professor Steven Nolan, his future host, and Yevgen Karpichev met during a European research project, which later led to a regular student exchange between the two institutions - an opportunity that Denys capitalised upon.
When preparing his MSCA Global Fellowship application, Bondar received valuable support from Professor Nolan. “His internationally recognised expertise in organometallic chemistry not only strengthened the scientific credibility of the proposal but also helped ensure its feasibility. I believe that the proposal, built around a clearly defined and timely scientific challenge, was one of the strongest factors in the success of the application,” notes Bondar. His research project "DoNoHarm" focuses on the design and synthesis of NHC–gold complexes for anticancer therapy.
Dr Bondar´s previous doctoral work at TalTech combined organic synthesis, materials science and drug delivery laying a strong foundation for his MSCA project. His research included rational drug design and targeted brain delivery strategies, resulting, in addition to the research papers, in a U.S. patent on nanocarriers for brain delivery – an achievement that, as he puts it, “demonstrates my ability to transform complex ideas into practical, high-impact results.”
Albina Mikhraliieva joins TalTech with a vision for greener nanomaterials
The idea for collaboration took shape in 2023, when Dr. Yevgen Karpichev visited the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, where Albina Mikhraliieva was working as a postdoctoral researcher, as a guest lecturer.
Discussions on Estonia’s research landscape and TalTech’s scientific opportunities sparked Mikhraliieva´s interest. Impressed by the research environment and confident in her expertise to contribute meaningfully, she decided to apply for the MSCA4Ukraine fellowship in collaboration with TalTech. “Being closer to Ukraine is also a significant personal advantage,” notes Mikhraliieva, originally from Kharkiv.
EU's significant focus on waste management and biomass valorisation resonated strongly with Mikhraliieva´s research interests. Their discussions then led to the concrete idea of collaborating at TalTech, culminating in MSCA4Ukraine grant application. The MSCA4Ukraine fellowship is a special programme designed to support researchers who have been displaced from Ukraine due to the war. She was awarded the highly competitive grant (49 stipends among over 500 candidates in the 2025 call), becoming the only MSCA4Ukraine fellow in Estonia in 2025 and the first ever in the field of chemistry since the programme´s launch.
Mikhraliieva says that TalTech immediately stood out as an attractive environment for her next research stage, offering excellent analytical facilities and robust synthesis expertise. Of crucial importance was biochemical assay expertise, a key missing component for the full characterisation of nanoparticles she is working with. “Dr. Karpichev's research profile, his considerable experience in transforming biomaterials like peat, lignin, and pine into valuable products is knowledge I am keen to acquire, and it also perfectly aligns with my goals. Moreover, TalTech's vibrant startup ecosystem provides an invaluable opportunity to infuse my applied research with an innovative, market-oriented perspective, which will be highly beneficial for my future career”.
With a background in carbon nanomaterials, Mikhraliieva brings to TalTech her expertise in the synthesis and characterisation of Carbon Dots - water-soluble, low-toxicity nanoparticles with high luminescence - as well as their diverse applications. At TalTech, she aims to develop more sustainable and efficient methods for synthesising these materials from biomass.
“Our CD-ROM (Carbon Dots from Sustainable Sources – Robust and Optimal Materials for Bioimaging) project targets a key problem in the field: current biomass-based methods often result in low quantum yield and poor purity,” she explains. “We aim to significantly improve this by using nitrogen-rich additives and porous templates to control particle growth.”
The work combines TalTech’s capabilities in bioimaging, antibacterial testing coupled with Karpichev´s expertise in biomass conversion and Mikhraliieva’s experience in nanomaterial synthesis. “This synergy is exactly what I need to take my research to the next level,” she says.
Dr. Yevgen Karpichev sees both fellowships as the result of academic and personal connections built over time. “I’m truly glad to see this collaboration between Ukrainian and Estonian researchers taking shape in our group and how meaningful opportunities can emerge even in the most challenging of circumstances,” he says. “Building visibility matters for academics in Estonia - it helps attract talent by fostering connections with both established and early-career researchers through conferences, meetings, public lectures, and invited professorships".