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“My research takes me places. Mostly synchrotrons.”

Najma Sultana Shaik is in the 3rd year of her doctorate in Prof. Ueli Angst’s Durability of Engineering Materials group at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG) ETH Zurich and at the Laboratory for Waste Management at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Previously, she completed a Bachelor’s in India in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and an Erasmus Mundus Double Master’s degree in Materials Science at Grenoble INP (France) and at TU Darmstadt (Germany). My research I study how iron corrosion forms and spreads inside concrete. This matters because corrosion has a massive global impact, accounting for roughly 3.4% of global GDP (around $2.5 trillion) and 3–4% of global CO2 emissions. By understanding how corrosion develops, we can build better predictive models and ultimately extend the lifespan of structures such as buildings, bridges, and nuclear waste repositories. In the lab, I make my own steel and cement samples and expose them to CO2, which mimics the natural aging process. I let them corrode for periods ranging from two months to two years. These controlled samples give me reference for what happens in real structures. To see what is going on at the boundary between steel and cement, I use synchrotron techniques, which rely on extremely bright X-rays, to identify the different corrosion products that form there. My research often takes me to synchrotrons around the globe, which I enjoy. In the past six months, I have spent four weeks at synchrotron facilities in four different countries. Most recently, my team and I worked at Diamond Light Source in the UK. There, we used X-rays to map the chemical makeup of the corrosion layers and identify the iron compounds they contain. Now I am analysing that data and preparing for my next round of beamtime experiments in December. My MaP moment At the 2025 MaP Graduate Symposium, I was amazed by the diversity of research presented by doctoral students. I discovered applications and approaches I had never encountered before. Some researchers used techniques that could also be useful for my own work. I also really enjoyed the interactions with my peers. The symposium inspired me to join the organising committee the following year. I then applied for the role of MaP student representative and was elected. I really value the MaP Doctoral School as a platform to exchange ideas and meet people beyond our own research bubbles. My future I would like to improve my German because I hope to find an industry position in Switzerland after graduating. I am already trying to build my network through conferences, job fairs and CONNECT, a programme that helps women in STEM explore career opportunities beyond academia. I enjoy talking about science, and I believe science communication is almost as important as science itself.

Najma Sultana Shaik is in the 3rd year of her doctorate in Prof. Ueli Angst’s Durability of Engineering Materials group at D-BAUG. She studies how iron corrosion forms and spreads inside concrete. Her research takes her around the world.

I’ve become very passionate about rheology

[MaP Community Portrait] Tazio Pleij is a doctoral student in Professor Jan Vermant’s Soft Materials Group at the Department of Materials. As he wraps up his research at ETH Zurich, he reflects on his passion for rheology.

Doctoral students act as network multipliers

For the past six years, the MaP Doctoral School has been successfully building a network between doctoral students and departments. In doing so, it enables doctoral students to look beyond their own horizons – with a lasting impact.

New video: MaP Doctoral School - connecting researchers

Why connecting researchers matters for Switzerland’s future.

Recap: Fluorine-free silicone nanofilament membranes for membrane distillation

In his talk last week, Dr. Michael Kappl from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research presented test results for new fluorine-free silicone nanofilament-coated membranes. The membranes outperform conventional fluorinated membranes in several aspects.

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