Oscar Cipolato – Curiosity through science and life - The Wondercast

For this inaugural episode, we're joined by my dear friend Oscar Cipollato, a brilliant scientist whose work in photonics and nanotechnology is pushing the boundaries of biomedical engineering. Oscar shares his journey from a curious child in a multicultural family to a pioneering researcher in laser tissue soldering, exploring how scientific methods can deepen our understanding of the world, the human body, and ourselves.

About Our Guest

Oscar Cipolato is a research scientist working in physics and medical engineering. Born in Venice, Italy, Oscar grew up in a half-Italian half-Taiwanese household. After earning his master’s degree in physics from the University of Padova, he conducted research at DESY in Hamburg and Imperial College London, focusing on advanced physics applications.

Oscar recently completed his PhD at ETH Zurich, Empa, and Balgrist Clinic, where his work centered on Intelligent Laser Tissue Soldering. This included developing techniques like robotic laser tissue soldering for atraumatic soft tissue fusion, guided by fluorescent nanothermometry. His research combined robotics, photonics, and nanotechnology to advance minimally invasive medical procedures. His contributions earned him the Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship, enabling him to transform his research into a startup.

In addition to his technical achievements, Oscar is passionate about science communication, receiving the Nature “Science in Shorts” award for explaining his work on tissue soldering to a broader audience.