Azad obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from the University of Groningen. During his Master’s thesis, he worked on the synthesis and modification of complex coacervates for biomedical applications. Shortly after, he completed an internship at Innocore Pharmaceuticals within the R&D department, where he strengthened his background in polymer science and grew more interested in biomedical applications.

In September 2025, he joined MERLN as a PhD candidate on the SupraValent project. The aim of this project is to establish a new paradigm for designing dynamic and robust hydrogels by integrating hierarchical supramolecular assemblies with in situ covalent bond formation, mimicking the properties of extracellular matrices.

His research focuses on developing and characterizing a versatile platform and toolbox for crosslinking and modification to precisely control supramolecular materials, which will then be applied in tissue engineering.