Team

Armin Amirsadeghi

PhD Student, RUG
Nature lover, Adventurous

I am a motivated Ph.D. student with a background in Chemical Engineering. My research interest is designing biomimicking biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery. I am currently seeking ways of producing bioinks for 3D printing purposes that gel through physical stimulation.

Simindokht Afra

PhD Student, FUM, SUT
Nature and book lover, Drawing, Art, Environmentalist

I am working on producing printable hydrogel by using natural polymers. I am experienced in cell and molecular biology. Using stem cells in combination with biomaterial could be optimized for advanced tissue engineering.

Taha Cagri Senocak

Postdoctoral Researcher, SUT/AU
Birdwatcher, Photographer, Nature lover, Snowboard enthusiast

I have a background in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, with the main research area of biomaterials and surface coatings (Ph.D. degree at the Ataturk University of Erzurum, Turkey). I am working on 3D printed tissue models for determining the biocompatibility of different metallic coatings.

I believe that there is always a way to improve. My motto is: “Knowledge increases by sharing, not hoarding it.”

Joanna Zur-Pinska

PostDoc, SUT

I have a background in biology and biotechnology (Master degree and PhD at the University of Silesia in Katowice, PL). I am interested in the role of various biological factors in the cellular response to complex bio-instructive scaffolds. I currently investigate the cell behavior on gradient polymeric-based platforms with different mechanical properties. 

Frendion Marchena

I am a biology and medical research bachelor student working on having melt electrowritten scaffolds that mimic human trabecular meshwork properties in order to create an as accurate possible out-of-body model.

Onyedikachi Cecil Azuama

PostDoc, SUT
Reading and singing. Lover of nature, humanity and serenity

I have a background in Microbiology with Masters degree in UK and PhD in France. My research interest is in understanding the response of cells to complex bio-instructive scaffolds.

Shree Bagchi

Student, RUG
 Art, Baking

I am a masters student in Biomedical Engineering at RUG. I am working on drug delivery systems with melt electrowriting using encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles embedded in PCL scaffolds

Maria Ruiz-Kaiser Ferrer

Student, RUG
Traveling, Reading, Knitting

I am a Biomedical Engineering BSc student that minored in biomaterials, and I am working on my BSc thesis. My project aims to the biological relevance of fabricating melt-electrowritten scaffolds for modeling hierarchical human trabecular meshwork in vitro for glaucoma studies.

The aim of the project is to test the biological relevance of a previously designed human trabecular meshwork (HTM) in vitro model fabricated by melt electrowriting (MEW). The project entails printing of hierarchical scaffolds mimicking the structure of the native HTM with designs that have already been suggested but require verification.

Baukje Victorine van der Ben

Student, RUG
Traveller, Cooking enthusiast , Book lover

I am a biomedical engineering bachelor student with a focus on biomaterials. Currently, I am working on melt electrowriting (MEW) of tubular scaffolds for the blood-brain barrier in vitro model development. For this purpose, I am using a lab-made mandrel with adjustable rotational movement and speed.

Didi Ubels

Student, RUG
Video game addict, Cat lover

I am a MSc student in Chemistry at the University of Groningen working on enzymatically degradable polyhydroxyalkanoates for the melt electrowriting of scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. This work is done under the project “More Science than Fiction: growing spare parts ex vivo“.

Micaela Fernandes

PhD Student, RUG
Traveller, food and cooking lover

I am a motivated Ph.D. candidate specializing in Microfluidics and 3D printing. My research focus lies in the development of biomaterials tailored for Tissue Regeneration applications. Currently, I aim to explore methods for creating a microgel-based system capable of controlled assembly during flow.

Extrusion bioprinting is a powerful fabrication approach in tissue engineering, providing accurate control over material deposition in the submillimetre range in a cost-effective manner. However, due to multiple requirements for printable materials (so-called inks), only a limited number of chemistries can be effectively used, and typically homogeneous network compositions are obtained. Approaches providing high control over local material structure and composition are still lacking.
In this project, we will develop a microgel-based material system for 3D-printing, accopulated with a microfluidic setup. Fine-tuning the ink composition and printing process will be controlled on the micrometer scale. Adjusting the fabrication process to work with the inks that contain living cells is envisioned in the final step. The developed approach ultimately will allow the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering purposes, with locally varying structure and composition, with control from submicrometric to millimetric scale.

Júlia Hansmann Fabra

Student, RUG
Mountain, food and nature lover.

I am a biotechnology student working on my BSc thesis. I am currently working on designing melt eletrowritten PHA scaffolds tailored for different cell types, and to control their enzymatic degradation. This project aims to contribute to the advancements in tissue engineering.

Bilal Korkut

Student, RUG
Food, Socially Extroverted, Travelling

I am a biomedical engineering student working on my BSc thesis. My research involves incorporating drug-loaded nanoparticles within 3D printed scaffolds to create novel drug delivery systems.

Agnieszka Piontek

PhD Student, SUT

I am a PhD candidate interested in novel biofabrication techniques and biomaterials, with a background in Biomedical Engineering. The main aim of my PhD project is to integrate different (bio)materials and different additive manufacturing technologies into one printing process, in order to achieve heterogeneous scaffolds and cell-laden tissue constructs for improved regeneration of hierarchical musculoskeletal tissues. 

Hatice Ercan Polat

Post-doc, SUT

Mountaineering, Climbing, Hiking, Photography, Nature lover

Having over a decade of experience in chemistry, biomaterials, hydrogels, and tissue engineering, my research interests involve the design of ECM-based scaffolds by applying decellularization methods to obtain biomimetic constructs for regenerative purposes. I have extensive experience with hydrogels and advanced crosslinking methodologies, using my background in chemistry to engineer novel scaffolds specifically for tissue regeneration. 

Julien Es Sayed

Post-doc, SUT/RUG

Sebastian Lopez

PhD student, UMCG/RUG

swimming enthusiast, avid runner, curious thinker, sci-fi lover, philosophy admirer

I am a pharmaceutical chemist specializing in drug delivery systems, nanotechnology, biomaterials, and oncology. My research focuses on developing advanced therapies for highly aggressive diseases, such as brain tumors. I aim to thrive on 3D biofabricated devices to enhance the bioavailability of chemotherapy drugs while minimizing systemic toxicity.