Born in 1975, Professor Piotr Garstecki is a faculty member at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 2001, focusing on self-organizing cubic phases in amphiphilic mixtures. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship with Professor George Whitesides’ research group at Harvard University, where he co-developed foundational insights into the dynamics and applications of multiphase microfluidic systems.
Professor Garstecki’s research interests encompass the formation and transport of droplets and bubbles in microfluidic systems, high-throughput screening, and the development of automated microfluidic platforms for biochemistry and diagnostics. Among his significant scientific achievements are the development of digital PCR tests, automated systems for long-term microorganism incubation, and methods for studying membrane proteins. He has attracted substantial research funding, including prestigious grants such as the ERC Starting Grant of €1.75 million and the EIC Accelerator Grant of €2 million. He has authored over 150 scientific publications, with an H-index of 49 according to ISI Web of Knowledge (62 on Google Scholar), and holds 27 granted patents along with 77 patent applications. He is multiple laureate of competitions by the Foundation for Polish Science, including KOLUMB, MISTRZ, POWROTY/HOMING, TEAM, and TEAM-TECH
In the business realm, Professor Garstecki has co-founded several innovative companies in the medtech industry. Notably, he founded Curiosity Diagnostics, which developed the PCR|ONE rapid molecular diagnostic system—one of the largest transactions in Poland’s medical sector following its sale to Bio-Rad Laboratories in 2022. He is also a co-founder of Bacteromic, specializing in advanced bacterial antibiotic susceptibility testing systems, and Edocera, which aims to create technology for stroke detection. Furthermore, Professor Garstecki established Scope Fluidics, the first medtech venture studio in Central and Eastern Europe, now listed on the sWIG80 index. His entrepreneurial achievements earned him the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for International Expansion in 2024.
He has supervised 13 Ph.D. students and co-supervised two others at Harvard University. He co-organizes the “Road to Harvard” competition, promoting education at prestigious institutions among Polish students. He is also deeply committed to science outreach. His popular science articles, published in Wiedza i Życie and Świat Nauki, make complex scientific topics accessible to the general public. He also delivers lectures and workshops at schools, student organizations, and science festivals, inspiring future generations of scientists and innovators.
He is a member of the FNP’s Council since September 1, 2020.