in

Supervisor

Dina Maniar

Assistant Professor

University of Groningen

LinkedIn
“HEAL-4WARD offers a unique opportunity to translate sustainable polymer science into impactful healthcare solutions. I look forward to developing innovative biobased materials that improve wound healing while promoting a circular and sustainable future.”

Background

Scientific background

After completing her PhD in the Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials research group at the University of Groningen, Dr. Dina Maniar continued her research as a postdoctoral researcher within the same group. Her PhD research focused on the enzymatic synthesis of furan-based polymers, while her postdoctoral work focused on block copolymers for functional nanofoams and hybrid composites. Dr. Maniar later joined the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials at the University of Groningen as an Assistant Professor, where she established the Polymer-based Composite Materials research group. Her current research focuses on developing sustainable polymeric materials through biocatalysis, renewable polymer chemistry, and precision polymer synthesis, including biobased and biodegradable polymers and their composites.

key publications

  • Cavallaro, M., Lepori, B. (2020) Institutional barriers to participation in EU framework programs: contrasting the Swiss and UK cases. Scientometrics 126, 1311–1328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03810-0

 

  • Post, C., Karchilakis, G., Maniar, D., Voet, V. S. D., Folkersma, R., Loos, K. (2026) Enzymatic polymerization of various biobased and biodegradable BHMTHF-based (co)polyesters. Green Chemistry 28(10), 4502–4514. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5GC06368J

 

  • Moreira Grilo, L., Maniar, D., Gandini, A., Loos, K., Martins Lacerda, T. (2026) Renewable Furanic Cyclobutanes as Potential Building Blocks for Circular Polymers via Diels–Alder Reaction. ACS Applied Polymer Materials 8(8), 6014–6023. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.6c00628

 

  • Post, C., Melis, P., Burkard, F., Parisi, D., Maniar, D., Voet, V. S. D., Folkersma, R., Loos, K. (2026) Sustainable BHMF-based polyester vitrimers with tunable dynamics and mechanical recyclability. European Polymer Journal 254, 114760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114760

 

  • Ahsan, S., Silvianti, F., Post, C., Voet, V. S. D., Folkersma, R., Joji, J., Pitet, L. M., Damodaran, S., Loos, K., Maniar, D. (2026) Synthesis and characterization of biobased (co)polyesters derived from cyclic monomers: Camphoric acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. Polymer Chemistry 17(9), 923–936. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PY01474J

 

  • Grilo, L. M., Faoro, S., Agostinho, B., Sousa, A. F., Guigo, N., Loos, K., Maniar, D., Lacerda, T. M. (2025) Synthesis of semi-rigid-biobased polyesters from renewable furanic cyclobutane diacid. Polymer Chemistry 16(34), 3808–3818. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PY00654A

Project Involvement and Roles

As WP6 Coordinator of HEAL-4WARD, Benoit Couturaud coordinates the project’s dissemination, communication and exploitation activities across the consortium.

  • He coordinates WP6, “Dissemination and Communication” (M1–M48), overseeing the communication and dissemination strategy, scientific outreach and project deliverables.
  • Benoit is the principal supervisor of DC6 at CNRS-ICMPE, whose research focuses on antimicrobial polypeptoid-based nanoparticles and biohybrid hydrogels using Ugi multicomponent reactions and PISA.
  • He also coordinates international collaborations and doctoral mobility, notably with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Current activities

Dr. Dina Maniar’s research focuses on the development of novel synthesis strategies for sustainable polymeric materials. She leads the Polymer-based Composite Materials research group at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, where her group develops biobased and biodegradable polymers and polymer composites using biocatalysis and precision polymer synthesis. Key research activities of Dr. Maniar’s group include the synthesis and characterization of sustainable polymers, renewable monomer-based materials, dynamic polymer networks, and functional polymer composites with tailored properties for advanced material applications.