The Veni grants are part of the Talent Scheme of NWO and are aimed at excellent researchers who have recently obtained their doctorate. The grants of up to € 320,000 confirm the quality and innovative nature of their research and help to further establish themselves in their field over a three-year period.

Dr Vasilis Tseliou is a research assistant professor at the Biocatalysis research group at the van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, developing new enzymatic strategies for stereocontrolled synthesis. With the Veni, Tseliou aims to advance the development of a more responsible and sustainable stereoselective synthesis while strengthening the chemistry toolbox to better face the challenges of modern organic chemistry.

Vasilis Tseliou studied Biomolecular sciences at the University of Crete (Greece), obtaining his Master’s degree in 2015 in Protein Biotechnology. He then became a PhD student at the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr Francesco Mutti of the HIMS Biocatalysis group. In 2020 he obtained his PhD with the distinction cum laude.  Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with the biocatalysis and analytical chemistry groups at UvA, collaborating with two industrial partners. In 2021, he was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship under the EU's Horizon 2020 program and joined Prof. Paolo Melchiorre's group at ICIQ in Spain. In 2023, Dr. Tseliou returned to Amsterdam as a research assistant professor in the Biocatalysis group. His primary research interests include asymmetric (photo)biocatalysis and enzyme engineering.  

See also

• From algorithmic criminal justice to depressive gut bacteria: 174 researchers receive Veni grant
• Vasilis Tseliou receives Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
• Biocatalysis research group