Outi Supponen receives ESRF Young Scientist Award 2026
Outi Supponen, Professor at the Institute of Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, has been awarded the 2026 Young Scientist Award by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The ESRF honours her for pioneering contributions to experimental multiphase fluid dynamics.
In her laboratory for Multiphase Fluid Dynamics, Supponen investigates complex phenomena such as bubble dynamics, shock waves, and acoustically induced instabilities. A particular focus lies on the study of cavitation bubbles – tiny, gas filled bubbles that expand and collapse violently when exposed to strong acoustic waves in liquids. These dynamics open up a wide range of biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery into cells and the non invasive fragmentation of kidney stones. To visualise such processes and advance therapeutic approaches, her team implements ultra-high-speed X-ray phase contrast imaging techniques.
Supponen has also been awarded an ERC Starting grant, which has officially begun this year. In her ERC project, she aims to continue investigating the formation and dynamics of cavitation bubbles and how they interact with their environment.
The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), based in Grenoble, France, operates the world’s brightest synchrotron light source and is an international centre of excellence for fundamental and applied research in condensed and living matter science.
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