MAREK LANČ Role: Head of Research and Testing Area: Physical Chemistry Employer: CCORE Technology GmbH What can I help my mentee with?  membrane processes medical device development presentation skills taking advantage of opportunities for international internships, conferences, etc.

Marek was attracted to chemistry already in high school; he participated in the Chemistry Olympiads and summer camps where he met his future classmates and a community of like-minded people. He started his studies at UCT Prague where he gradually became interested in the practical application of chemistry and thus got into the field of membrane separations in physical chemistry. He focused on the topic of membranes throughout his bachelor's, master's and PhD work during which he also attended two research internships: one focused on the silicon-based thin films at FUJIFILM in the Netherlands and at the second at the Institute of Membrane Technology (ITM-CNR) in Calabria, Italy.

"So far, my whole career has followed the method: take on a challenge you like." Marek is currently working at CCORE Technology. CCORE's vision is to make life easier for people with respiratory problems through the development of a miniaturized and affordable system for removing CO2 from the bloodstream. In the initial phase of the project, based on close collaboration with the university, Marek was responsible for the development and modification of the membranes necessary for the device. Based on the interpretation of technical data from external partners, he contributed to the redesign of the project goal and the decision to significantly strengthen the internal technical team.  Currently, the company has approximately 15 employees and is developing a complete system consisting of an extracorporeal circulation (membrane module, centrifugal pump, etc..), a control console and software. Marek is responsible for research and testing. He defines what needs to be developed from a clinical-chemical point of view and provides input from a biochemical and chemical-engineering point of view. He plans and leads internal testing, including in-vivo large animal testing, and provides feedback to the engineering team. In collaboration with the "regulatory" team, he is co-responsible for the verification and validation process. In addition, he performs literature, patent and market analysis to identify new directions for development.

During his studies, Marek has been involved in many popularization projects and was the chairman of the student part of the Academic Senate. "In the senate I learned not to insist on having everything my way at all costs, but rather to delegate work to people I trust. Of course, it also puts you in situations where you have to make decisions about things you don't understand and take responsibility when you need to." Marek sees mentoring as an opportunity to be in touch with students and pass on what he has learned outside of his field of study that they can use in the future.