Matthias Barz is Professor of Biotherapeutic Delivery at the Division of BioTherapeutics at the Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (Leiden University). His research focusses on the development of functional nanoparticles base on polypept(o)ides for diagnosis and therapy. His lab has introduced polypept(o)ides in 2014 as hybrid materials combining polypeptides and polypeptoids in various polymer architectures. For his independent research he received numerous awards, grants, and scholarships, including the highly prestigious Chemiedozentenpreis (Young Faculty Award of the German Industry Fonds, VCI (2018).