WearSense at Solutions in Chemistry 2026

The WearSense team proudly participated in the Solutions in Chemistry conference, held in Rijeka from 1–5 September and organized by the Croatian Chemical Society. The conference brought together researchers from Croatia and abroad, including 2022 Nobel Laureate Prof. Morten P. Meldal. We are also proud that Prof. Ernest Meštrović, a member of the WearSense team, was recently elected President of the Croatian Chemical Society.

The team was strongly represented throughout the conference. Prof. Ivana Murković Steinberg was invited to give a lecture entitled “Wearable Sensors for Multimodal Optical Monitoring of Epidermal Biomarkers,” which was delivered by Dr. Matthew D. Steinberg and Dr. Gerhard J. Mohr. They also participated in the panel discussion “Chemistry is Powering the Future.”

Dr. Deepak Joshy presented “Validation of Wearable Optical Biochemical Sensors Using Phantoms Representing Diverse Skin Tones,” while Dr. Huma Yilmaz presented “A Phosphorescent Quantum Dot–Hydrogel Hybrid Platform for Biocompatible Optical Sensors.” Both presentations attracted considerable interest and sparked engaging discussions. Iva Karneluti was also scheduled to present her work, “Hydrogel-Coated Colourimetric Face Sheet Mask for Monitoring Skin pH,” although she was unfortunately unable to attend.

On the final day, Ivana Perković presented “Printed Hydrogel-Based Sensing Platforms on Textile Substrates for Dual pH and Urea Monitoring.” Her presentation sparked lively discussion and received the Tomislav Cvitaš Award for Best Oral Presentation among Young Researchers, awarded by the Croatian Chemical Society.

Overall, Solutions in Chemistry 2026 was an inspiring and rewarding experience, providing valuable opportunities to share our research, exchange ideas, and establish new scientific connections.

Congratulations to the entire WearSense team! 🎉