UFAZ Graduate Farah Asgarkhanova Successfully Defended Her PhD Dissertation

On December 9, 2025, Farah Asgarkhanova, a graduate of the Chemical Engineering bachelor’s program at the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ), successfully defended her PhD dissertation at the University of Strasbourg (UNISTRA), within the framework of the State Program.

Her doctoral thesis, entitled “Computer-aided Design of Nature-inspired Compounds for Cosmetic Applications,” was carried out in the field of Chemoinformatics under the supervision of Dr. Gilles Marcou. The research focused on the development of advanced computational approaches to support the design and selection of innovative cosmetic ingredients.

Within the scope of her PhD work, Farah Asgarkhanova developed a comprehensive computational workflow that enables the virtual design of chemical compounds, prediction of their properties, and identification of molecules with targeted profiles suitable for cosmetic applications. This approach contributes to more efficient, costeffective, and sustainable research strategies by reducing reliance on purely experimental methods.

Farah’s academic journey began at UFAZ, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, followed by the completion of her Master’s first year (M1) at UFAZ. She then continued her studies at the University of Strasbourg (UNISTRA), obtaining an M2 degree in Chemoinformatics, before pursuing her PhD at the same institution with the support of the State Program.

Her research reflects a strong interdisciplinary background, combining chemistry, datadriven modeling, and computer-aided molecular design. Through this work, she contributed to the growing role of computational sciences in the development of innovative and nature-inspired solutions for the cosmetic industry.

We congratulate Dr. Farah Asgarkhanova on her successful PhD defense and wish her continued success and innovation in her future academic and professional endeavors.