Two research projects, one aimed at improving the movement of prosthetic limbs on uneven terrain and the other at developing a vaccine formulation that enhances the immune response of newborns to vaccinations, have received grants from STAFN: The Brynja Einarsdóttir and Arnar Almarsson Scholarship Fund at the University of Iceland. This is the third round of awards from the Fund and together the grants make a a total of ISK 4 million.
The Fund aims to promote the education and expand the horizons of promising students in the natural sciences, health sciences, engineering and computer science, including fields such as artificial intelligence and bioinformatics. Particular emphasis is place on projects related to health, biotechnology and drug development. Funding is awarded to Icelandic postgraduate students studying at UI or abroad with the goal of promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and encouraging students to make connections between different fields and areas of technology.
Giacomo Zafalon, doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the UI Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, was awarded a grant for his project: “Design and development of EMG-controlled bionic prosthetic leg”. The project aims to use electromyography (EMG) to fine-tune the movement of prosthetic limbs and is carried out in collaboration between the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the prosthetics company Össur. It focuses on prosthetic knees, as people with above-knee amputations still face significant challenges due to a lack of natural knee control, particularly on uneven and sloped terrain, limiting their independence. Giacomo’s project is about connecting the knee to EMG in order to correct the issue. By combining EMG-based control with posture-based algorithms in a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee (PowerKnee™, Össur), users can control the prosthetic leg in real time, in standard walking and in non-standard situations, for example walking on uneven terrain or going up an incline. Connecting knee and ankle movements also ensures more natural movement and better support.
Giacomo completed a joint master's degree in mechatronic engineering from Aalto University in Helsinki and the University of Trento in 2024. He started his doctorate at UI in November 2024. His doctoral project is supervised by Sigurður Brynjólfsson, professor at the UI Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. His secondary supervisor is Kristín Briem, professor at the UI Faculty of Medicine.
Hilmar Snorri Rögnvaldsson, master's student at the UI Faculty of Medicine, was awarded a grant for his research project, which is about developing a vaccine formulation for newborns that will strengthen their immune response to vaccination. Infections and respiratory diseases are among the leading global causes of illness and mortality in newborns and infants, despite the fact that these conditions can often be prevented through vaccination. Chitosan is a natural polymer that has attracted attention in the life sciences due to its diverse and promising properties. The primary source of chitosan is chitin, a substance which can be found in, for example, the exoskeletons of crustaceans. The project will look at the chitosan derivative N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC). TMC will be administered to neonatal mice together with a pneumococcal vaccine in order to see how it affects the immune response in newborns. The project aims to investigate whether and how TMC can enhance the immune response in newborns, thereby contributing to the development of more effective vaccines for this vulnerable age group.
Hilmar Snorri recently graduated with a BS in biology from the University of Iceland. His master’sproject is carried out at the Department of Immunology at Landspítali University Hospital, supervised by Stefanía P. Bjarnarson, senior lecturer, and Auður Anna Aradóttir Pind, postdoctoral researcher, in collaboration with Már Másson, professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
About the FundSTAFN: The Brynja Einarsdóttir and Arnar Almarsson Scholarship Fund was founded 5 January 2024. The founders of the Fund, the esthetician Brynja Einarsdóttir and chemist Örn Almarson are a married couple from Hafnarfjörður, living in America but with roots and business interests in Iceland. Örn graduated with a degree in chemistry from UI in 1988.The Fund operates in accordance with a ratified charter. Board members are Eiríkur Steingrímsson, professor at the School of Health Sciences and chair, Margrét Helga Ögmundsdóttir, professor at the School of Health Sciences, and Steinn Guðmundsson, professor at the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences.
The UI Scholarship Funds manage the funds and donations that have been bequeathed to UI since its foundation. Most of these funds operate in accordance with ratified charters and are intended to support various projects in specific fields for the benefit of UI and its students and staff.