We are pleased to announce the 2025 DGM Young Scientist Award, which honors outstanding doctoral students who graduated no more than two years prior to the application deadline. This prestigious award recognizes young scientists who have made significant contributions to nonprofit research in materials science and engineering. The DGM congratulates Dr.-Ing. Swathi Naidu Vakamulla Raghu of the University of Siegen on winning the 2025 DGM Young Scientist Award.

1) Your path has taken you from India to Japan and Belgium to Germany, and you have always worked in the field of innovative materials. How did you originally become interested in materials science, and how did your focus evolve to include nanostructured zirconium dioxide coatings?

It may sound silly, but it's because of the cartoons I watched as a child. I loved Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls. Science felt like a superpower, and materials were the tangible way to manifest it. As for zirconia, well, that's exactly what happened. We knew about other metal oxides, such as titanium dioxide, and started our research from there. What's interesting is not the zirconium oxide itself but the anodization and depth-dependent information exploration with ToF-SIMS, which led to many more exciting discoveries.

2) Your work on bioresponsive nanomaterials is scientifically significant and has great potential for application in areas such as dental implants. What appeals to you about translating research findings into medical practice, and what obstacles do you face in doing so?

For us, working on bioresponsive nanomaterials is about more than just fascinating scientific discoveries — we are also developing tools that can improve healing, reduce complications, and enhance patients' quality of life. However, the path from the laboratory to the clinic is anything but straightforward. Scalability is a major hurdle—what works in the laboratory cannot always be transferred to mass production or ensure long-term stability in the body. There are also regulatory challenges in evaluating new concepts. It's a long road, but hopefully, we're on the right track.

3) You now lead a junior research group and supervise students. What motivates you to pass on your knowledge and experience, and which particular skills do you want to impart to young researchers?

I enjoy working with students because they will be my future colleagues. In a way, I am investing in myself while contributing to the common good. The skill I focus on for myself and my students is the ability to reflect—to keep asking "why" until you can't ask anymore. This kind of thinking creates depth, clarity, and real insights for oneself and science.

Congratulations again to Dr. Swathi Naidu Vakamulla Raghu on this special award. We look forward to honoring her and all the award winners at DGM-Tag 2025 and getting to know them personally.