Hasan Uludag
(University of Alberta, Canada)

Dr. Hasan Uludağ has been with the University of Alberta since 1997, currently based at the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering. He holds joint appoints at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Uludağ is directing interdisciplinary research programs on experimental therapeutics, specifically focusing of designing functional biomaterials to realize the potential of nucleic acid therapies. His research activity is now conducted in the context of novel anti-cancer therapies. Dr. Uludağ is actively involved in various biomaterials societies around the World and is an elected Fellow of the International Union of Society of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUS-BSE). Besides acting as the lead editor for Frontiers in Biomaterials, he is serving on the editorial board of 7 international journals. Dr. Uludağ published >220 peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Uludağ obtained dual B.Sc. degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Biology from Brown University (Providence, RI) in 1989, specializing in biomedical engineering with a strong emphasis in biological sciences. He then completed his Ph.D. degree in 1993 at the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto, where he developed a strong expertise in polymeric biomaterials. He spent four years in an industrial setting (Genetics Institute Inc.; Boston, MA), where he contributed to development of a tissue engineered bone-inducing BMP device for clinical use. He initiated 2 spin-off companies from the U. of Alberta based on the technologies emanating from his labs.

Emilio Alarcon
(University of Ottawa, Canada)

Dr. Emilio I. Alarcón is Associate Professor, University of Ottawa and Scientist, University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Alarcón's work seeks to understand how nanoscale interactions can be used to create peptide-based materials with augmented biological properties for tissue and organ repair. He has published +100 peer-reviewed papers, most of which in high quality journals with broad audiences (ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Nature Communications, Science). The scope and transformative potential of his research has been awarded with significant grant funding (totaling >$5M) from the largest federal agencies in Canada and several awards.

Todd Hoare
(McMaster University, Canada)

Todd Hoare is the Canada Research Chair in Engineered Smart Materials and a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University as well as the Director of the NSERC CREATE Training Program for Controlled Release Leaders (ContRoL). Dr. Hoare’s work on “smart” environmentally-responsive hydrogels, in situ-gelling/printable hydrogel materials, and nanoscale drug delivery vehicles has been profiled by Popular Science, Maclean’s, and BBC for its potential in solving clinical challenges through innovative materials design. He is a Fellow of the International Union of Societies in Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUS-BSE), was awarded an NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship (2018), has been cited as part of the 2018 Class of Influential Researchers by Industrial Engineering & Chemistry Research, and has received the 2016 Early Career Investigator Award from the Canadian Biomaterials Society and the 2009 John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry in recognition of his research. He is also the co-recipient of the 2023 NSERC Brockhouse Prize for Interdisciplinary Research, Canada’s highest honor for collaborative research in the natural sciences and engineering, for his development of innovative drug delivery vehicles in collaboration with clinicians. Dr. Hoare is a past-president of the Canadian Biomaterials Society (2016-2017) and the Canadian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (2013-2015), and is currently the Chair of the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Division of the Chemical Institute of Canada. He also serves as one of the Executive Editors of Chemical Engineering Journal (where he leads the biomaterials section) and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Biomacromolecules.

Nicholas Peppas
(University of Texas at Austin, USA)

Professor Nicholas A. Peppas is a chemical engineer, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist whose research contributions, innovations, inventions have led to 20 chemical/medical/pharmaceutical products.
Peppas is an elected member of the US-National Academy of Engineering, US- National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academy of Inventors, Academia Europaea, Canadian Engineering Academy, Indian National Engineering Academy, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Korean Academy of Science Technology, National Academy of France, Royal Academy of Spain, Academy of Athens, Greece, Academy of Romanian Scientists, and Academy of Texas. He has served as a Visiting Professor in the Universities of Geneva, Paris-Sud, Santiago de Compostela. Madrid, Lisbon, Parma, Pavia, Napoli, Hecettepe/Ankara, Athens, Berlin, Hebrew University/Jerusalem, Hoshi University/Tokyo, Nanyang University/Singapore, Sichuan University, Peking Medical College. Peppas is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics, Surgery and Pharmacy, and a member of the Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. His group has set the fundamentals of flow and transport phenomena in numerous medical problems, based on the principles of Engineering Science. He has numerous books, 1,800 publications and is cited in more than 193,000 references (H=202). Honored by 170 Awards including NAE Founders Award, NAM Adam Yarmolinsky, Pharmaceutical Global Leader Award, and the Biomaterials Global Impact Awards. Peppas holds a D.Eng. from NTU Athens, a ScD. from MIT and is the recipient of 13 honorary doctorates and professorships from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Romania, Israel and China. Editor of Regenerative Biomaterials (Oxford) and President on the International Sigma Xi organization. He actively works to diversify program interests, take an active role towards increasing the number of young members, and actively promote the election and participation of a diverse and inclusive group of scientists.

Antonios Mikos
(Rice University, USA)

Antonios G. Mikos is the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on the synthesis, processing, and evaluation of new biomaterials for use as scaffolds for tissue engineering, as carriers for controlled drug delivery, as non-viral vectors for gene therapy, and as platforms for disease modeling. His work has led to the development of novel orthopaedic, dental, cardiovascular, neurologic, and ophthalmologic biomaterials. He is the author of over 700 publications and the inventor of 32 patents. Mikos is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Academia Europaea, and the Academy of Athens. He has been recognized by various awards including the Jensen Tissue Engineering Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Global, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Americas, the Founders Award of the Society For Biomaterials, the Founders Award of the Controlled Release Society, the Acta Biomaterialia Gold Medal, the Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecturer Award of the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research of the Orthopaedic Research Society. He is a Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tissue Engineering.

Arthur J. Coury
(Northeastern University, USA)

Arthur (Art) J. Coury
Member, National Academy of Engineering
American Chemical Society Fellow
University Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering
Northeastern University
artjcoury@aol.com
a.coury@northeastern.edu
617-834-9179

Dr. Art Coury holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware (1962), a Ph.D. in organic chemistry (1965) and an M.B.A. (1980) from the University of Minnesota. His industrial career included positions as: Senior Research Chemist at General Mills, Inc. (1965-‐1976), Director, Polymer Technology and Research Fellow at Medtronic, Inc. (1976‐1993), Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Focal, Inc. (1993‐2000), and Vice President, Biomaterials Research at Genzyme Corporation (2000‐2008). He currently is a consultant and academic professor. His career focus has been polymeric biomaterials for medical products such as implantable electronic devices, hydrogel‐based devices, and drug delivery systems. He holds over fifty-seven distinct patents and has published and presented widely in his field. His prior or current academic service has included adjunct or affiliate appointments at the University of Minnesota, the Harvard‐MIT Graduate Program in Health Sciences and Technology, the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the University of Trento, Italy, Sichuan University, China, Hebei University, China, and Northeastern University. His professional service has included: Chair, Minnesota Section, American Chemical Society (1989‐1990); President, Society for Biomaterials, USA (1999‐2000); President, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) (2003‐2004) and membership on several universities, professional societies, and corporate advisory boards. His recent recognitions have included the delivery of distinguished lectureships, receipt of the 2007 Innovation and Technology Development Award of the Society for Biomaterials, being named as one of “100 Notable People in the Medical Device Industry” by MD&DI magazine (2008), induction into the National Academy of Engineering, USA (2009), recognition on the University of Delaware alumni “Wall of Fame” (2010), “The Man, the Myth, the Materials”, a symposium in honor of Art Coury’s 70th birthday (2010), induction as an American Chemical Society Fellow (2011), recipient of the Society for Biomaterials Founders’ Award (2012) and its C. William Hall Award (2013) of the AIMBE Pierre Galletti Award, the University of Minnesota Outstanding Alumni Award (2013), appointment as Honorary Professor, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (2013) and Hebei University, Tianjin, China (2019), University Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University (2014), and recognition with the Directors’ Award of the Harvard/MIT Joint Program in Health Sciences and Technology (2016). A joint U.S/Japan Society for Biomaterials Symposium was held to honor 2 American and 2 Japanese Biomaterials Leaders in Hawaii (January 2022), with Art being an Honoree. In April, 2023, Art received the Society for Biomaterials Service Award and the American Chemical Society Division of Rubber Chemistry Bioelastomer Award.

Serena Best
(University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)

Serena Best is a Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge. She co-directs the Cambridge Centre for Medical Materials (along with Professor Ruth Cameron). She has published around 400 journal papers, books, book chapters and patents in the fields of biomaterials and skeletal repair. Her main research interests focus on the development of functionalised collagen scaffolds for tissue regeneration and bioactive ceramics for bone repair. She was President of the UK Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) from Jan 2019 – Dec 2020 and Chair of the Executive Board (Jan 2021- Dec 2022). She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng). She is also a Fellow of Federation of Institutions for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (FAIMBE). She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2017 for services to Biomaterials Engineering.

Dong-Hwee Kim
(Korea University, Korea, Republic of)

Dong-Hwee Kim is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Energy Engineering and KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology at Korea University. Before joining Korea University as a tenuretrack faculty member, he was a postdoctoral research fellow of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Physical Sciences-Oncology Center at Johns Hopkins University.
He graduated from Korea University with a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with an M.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He received a Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2013. His research focuses on multilevel cellular mechanics, physics
of cancer, and cellular mechanosensation and mechanotransduction as well as disease biophysics.

Song Li
(UCLA, USA)

Dr. Li holds a B.S. and M.S. from Peking University, as well as a Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in Bioengineering from UC San Diego. Throughout his career, he has held positions with prestige and leadership, including serving as a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley from 2001 to 2015, chairing the Bioengineering Department at UC Los Angeles, and serving as the Director of Bioengineering Institute for California. Dr. Li's research is focused on cell and tissue engineering. He has contributed to the understanding of how biophysical factors regulate stem cell differentiation and cell reprogramming, and has developed multidisciplinary approaches for engineering biomaterials, stem cells, and immune cells for tissue regeneration and disease therapy. Dr. Li has published his findings in top scientific journals such as Nature Materials, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Science Translational Medicine, and Advanced Materials. Additionally, he has filed 19 patent applications, co-edited 3 books, and served as the Co-Editor-in-Chief for Med-X Journal. Dr. Li's contributions to bioengineering have earned him numerous awards and honors, including being elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

Chwee Teck Lim
(National University of Singapore, Singapore)

Professor Chwee Teck LIM is the NUS Society Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology at the National University of Singapore. He is also the Founding Director of the Singapore Health Technologies Consortium. His research interests are in human disease mechanobiology as well as development of innovative biomedical technologies for disease diagnosis and therapy. He is a prolific researcher having co-authored over 470 journal publications including in Nature and Science related journals and given more than 450 plenary/keynote/invited lectures. He is also a serial entrepreneur having started six companies to commercialize technologies developed in his lab. Prof Lim is an Elected Fellow of IUPESM, US National Academy of Inventors, AIMBE, IAMBE, the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology, the Academy of Engineering, Singapore, the Singapore National Academy of Science and the Instition of Engineers, Singapore. He and his team have garnered over 100 research awards and honours including Nature Lifetime Achievement Award for Mentoring in Science, Asia’s Most Influential Scientist,Highly Cited Researcher, IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award, ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, Asian Scientists 100, Credit Suisse Technopreneur of the Year Award, Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Award (Gold) and the President's Technology Award among others.

Jeongeun Hyun
(Dankook University, Korea, Republic of)

Dr. Hyun studied post-transcriptional i) microRNA-mediated mechanisms that regulate hepatic stellate cell biology, ii) RNA-binding protein-mediated mechanisms that control hepatocyte functions, and iii) whether and how dysregulation of these mechanisms affects liver disease. From March 2020 to the present, she has been working as an assistant professor at the Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University. The aim of Dr. Hyun's research is to elucidate the mechanisms regulating liver injury and repair and to improve our ability to diagnose and treat liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and liver cancer. Currently, her research team is focusing on the mechano-responsiveness of various cells, including epithelial and immune cells, to study the effects of biophysical and mechanical changes in the tumor microenvironment on cancer progression. To this end, Dr. Hyun's team is working with collaborators from interdisciplinary fields covering biomaterials engineering, medicine, physics, and more.

Tae-Jin Kim
(Pusan National University, Korea, Republic of)

Prof. Tae-Jin Kim received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following this, he completed post-doctoral work at the Department of Bioengineering, the University of Washington at Seattle, USA. He started his lab at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 2015 as a principal investigator and served as a faculty member at the University of Science and Technology. In 2017, he joined the Pusan National University as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Integrated Biological Science, and Institute of Systems Biology. Currently, he is an Associate Professor and serves as the Head of the Department. He also serves as a Director of the Basic Research Laboratory supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Arthur J. Coury
(Northeastern University, USA)

Arthur (Art) J. Coury
Member, National Academy of Engineering
American Chemical Society Fellow
University Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering
Northeastern University
artjcoury@aol.com
a.coury@northeastern.edu
617-834-9179

Dr. Art Coury holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware (1962), a Ph.D. in organic chemistry (1965) and an M.B.A. (1980) from the University of Minnesota. His industrial career included positions as: Senior Research Chemist at General Mills, Inc. (1965-‐1976), Director, Polymer Technology and Research Fellow at Medtronic, Inc. (1976‐1993), Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Focal, Inc. (1993‐2000), and Vice President, Biomaterials Research at Genzyme Corporation (2000‐2008). He currently is a consultant and academic professor. His career focus has been polymeric biomaterials for medical products such as implantable electronic devices, hydrogel‐based devices, and drug delivery systems. He holds over fifty-seven distinct patents and has published and presented widely in his field. His prior or current academic service has included adjunct or affiliate appointments at the University of Minnesota, the Harvard‐MIT Graduate Program in Health Sciences and Technology, the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the University of Trento, Italy, Sichuan University, China, Hebei University, China, and Northeastern University. His professional service has included: Chair, Minnesota Section, American Chemical Society (1989‐1990); President, Society for Biomaterials, USA (1999‐2000); President, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) (2003‐2004) and membership on several universities, professional societies, and corporate advisory boards. His recent recognitions have included the delivery of distinguished lectureships, receipt of the 2007 Innovation and Technology Development Award of the Society for Biomaterials, being named as one of “100 Notable People in the Medical Device Industry” by MD&DI magazine (2008), induction into the National Academy of Engineering, USA (2009), recognition on the University of Delaware alumni “Wall of Fame” (2010), “The Man, the Myth, the Materials”, a symposium in honor of Art Coury’s 70th birthday (2010), induction as an American Chemical Society Fellow (2011), recipient of the Society for Biomaterials Founders’ Award (2012) and its C. William Hall Award (2013) of the AIMBE Pierre Galletti Award, the University of Minnesota Outstanding Alumni Award (2013), appointment as Honorary Professor, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (2013) and Hebei University, Tianjin, China (2019), University Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University (2014), and recognition with the Directors’ Award of the Harvard/MIT Joint Program in Health Sciences and Technology (2016). A joint U.S/Japan Society for Biomaterials Symposium was held to honor 2 American and 2 Japanese Biomaterials Leaders in Hawaii (January 2022), with Art being an Honoree. In April, 2023, Art received the Society for Biomaterials Service Award and the American Chemical Society Division of Rubber Chemistry Bioelastomer Award.

Ravi Kumar
(University of Alabama, USA)

Ravi Kumar is a Distinguished University Research Professor and Founding Director, Convergent Bioscience and Medicine (CCBM), at the University of Alabama. His research focuses on developing the next generation of drug delivery systems to reposition existing drugs, as well as minimize drug attrition rates. He co-founded Peroral Biosciences Inc., to develop and commercialize next generation of peroral dosage forms of poorly bioavailable peptides, proteins, and other small molecules. He is elected a Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (NAI) [2023]; Corresponding Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) [2023]; Foreign Member, The French National Academy of Pharmacy [2022]; Foreign Member, Academia Europaea (AE) [2021]; Foreign Fellow, European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) [2020]. He is also an elected fellow of AIMBE, CRS, AAPS, and AAAS.

Nicholas Peppas
(University of Texas at Austin, USA)

Professor Nicholas A. Peppas is a chemical engineer, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist whose research contributions, innovations, inventions have led to 20 chemical/medical/pharmaceutical products.
Peppas is an elected member of the US-National Academy of Engineering, US- National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academy of Inventors, Academia Europaea, Canadian Engineering Academy, Indian National Engineering Academy, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Korean Academy of Science Technology, National Academy of France, Royal Academy of Spain, Academy of Athens, Greece, Academy of Romanian Scientists, and Academy of Texas. He has served as a Visiting Professor in the Universities of Geneva, Paris-Sud, Santiago de Compostela. Madrid, Lisbon, Parma, Pavia, Napoli, Hecettepe/Ankara, Athens, Berlin, Hebrew University/Jerusalem, Hoshi University/Tokyo, Nanyang University/Singapore, Sichuan University, Peking Medical College. Peppas is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics, Surgery and Pharmacy, and a member of the Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. His group has set the fundamentals of flow and transport phenomena in numerous medical problems, based on the principles of Engineering Science. He has numerous books, 1,800 publications and is cited in more than 193,000 references (H=202). Honored by 170 Awards including NAE Founders Award, NAM Adam Yarmolinsky, Pharmaceutical Global Leader Award, and the Biomaterials Global Impact Awards. Peppas holds a D.Eng. from NTU Athens, a ScD. from MIT and is the recipient of 13 honorary doctorates and professorships from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Romania, Israel and China. Editor of Regenerative Biomaterials (Oxford) and President on the International Sigma Xi organization. He actively works to diversify program interests, take an active role towards increasing the number of young members, and actively promote the election and participation of a diverse and inclusive group of scientists.

Sarah Heilshorn
(Stanford University, USA)

Sarah Heilshorn is Professor and Associate Chair in the Materials Science & Engineering Department at Stanford University and the Director of the Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials. She holds courtesy faculty appointments in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and is a Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Her laboratory integrates concepts from materials science and protein engineering to design new, bioinspired materials. These materials are being explored for applications in regenerative medicine, organoid culture, and 3D bioprinting. Prof. Heilshorn is a fervent supporter of diversifying the engineering community and serves in multiple leadership roles to help achieve this goal. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She currently serves as an Associate Editor of the journal Science Advances, Editor of the journal Acta Biomaterialia, and serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Biofabrication (ISBF) and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS).

Dietmar Hutmacher
(Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Distinguished Professor Dietmar W Hutmacher is a biomedical engineer, an educator, an inventor, and a creator of new intellectual property opportunities. DProfessor Hutmacher founded and co-directs the first Max Planck Centre in Oceania; Max Planck Centre Queensland, Australia (MPCQ): The Materials Science of Extracellular Matrices He mentors an interdisciplinary team of researchers including engineers, cell biologists, polymer chemists, clinicians, and veterinary surgeons. He is an internationally recognized research leader in the fields of biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with expertise in commercialization. He has translated a bone and breast tissue engineering concept from the laboratory through to clinical application involving in vitro experiments, preclinical studies and ultimately clinical trials. His recent research efforts have resulted in traditional scientific/academic outputs as well as pivotal commercialisation outcomes. His pre-eminent international standing and impact on the field are illustrated by his publication record which is manifested that he has been awarded the highly cited researcher status for four consecutive years.

Liliang Ouyang
(Tsinghua University, China)

Dr. Ouyang is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University. He obtained a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University (2017), postdoctoral training in Materials and Bioengineering at Imperial College London (2017-2020), and a visiting research training in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania (2015-2016). His research interests include the design, fabrication, and application of complex biomaterial and cellular systems, with a central focus on the development of 3D bioprinting and advanced biofabrication technologies for engineering in vitro living systems. He has published a series of peer-reviewed articles in well-recognized journals, including Science Advances, Advanced Materials, and Trends in Biotechnology, with a total Google Scholar citation of 3400+ and an H-index of 22. He is currently an Editorial Board member of Biofabrication, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Bioprinting, and Early Career Researcher committee member of ISBF. He has been recognized with a series of awards, including the ISBF New Investigator Award (2021).

Junmin Lee
(POSTECH, Korea, Republic of)

Dr. Junmin Lee is currently an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at The Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Lee worked with Dr. Ali Khademhosseini as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School and in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Los-Angeles (UCLA) as well as Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the supervision of Dr. Kristopher A. Kilian. Dr. Lee’s research focuses on developing engineering approaches to solve biological problems related to healthcare engineering. To address limitations of existing biomedical strategies including lack of suitable materials with high levels of complexities/dynamics in the body, our lab focuses on developing/designing smart biomaterial systems for potential applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Furthermore, Dr. Lee’s lab tries to understand human body/tissue systems as well as biomaterial-cell interfaces for smart healthcare engineering. He has published more than 90 peer-reviewed journal papers. His papers have been cited ~4,800 times in total (H-index: 41) and have been highlighted in many newspapers.

Antonios Mikos
(Rice University, USA)

Antonios G. Mikos is the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on the synthesis, processing, and evaluation of new biomaterials for use as scaffolds for tissue engineering, as carriers for controlled drug delivery, as non-viral vectors for gene therapy, and as platforms for disease modeling. His work has led to the development of novel orthopaedic, dental, cardiovascular, neurologic, and ophthalmologic biomaterials. He is the author of over 700 publications and the inventor of 32 patents. Mikos is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Academia Europaea, and the Academy of Athens. He has been recognized by various awards including the Jensen Tissue Engineering Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Global, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Americas, the Founders Award of the Society For Biomaterials, the Founders Award of the Controlled Release Society, the Acta Biomaterialia Gold Medal, the Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecturer Award of the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research of the Orthopaedic Research Society. He is a Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tissue Engineering.

Ali Khademhosseini
(Terasaki Institute, USA)

Ali Khademhosseini is currently the CEO and Founding Director at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. Previously, he was a Professor of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering and Radiology at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). He joined UCLA as the Levi Knight Chair in November 2017 from Harvard University where he was Professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and faculty at the Harvard-MIT’s Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and as well as associate faculty at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. At Harvard University, he directed the Biomaterials Innovation Research Center (BIRC) a leading initiative in making engineered biomedical materials. Dr. Khademhosseini has served as an Associate Editor for ACS Nano from 2013 to 2021. He also served as the Research Highlights editor for Lab on a Chip. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE), Materials Research Society (MRS), NANOSMAT Society, and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also the recipient of the Mustafa Prize and is a member of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Inventors. He is an author on >700 peer-reviewed journal articles, editorials and review papers, >70 book chapters/edited books and >50 patents/patent applications. He has been cited >114,400 times and has an H-index of 174. He has made seminal contributions to modifying hydrogels and developing novel biomaterial solutions for addressing pressing problems in healthcare. He has founded 3 companies, Obsidio Medical which was recently acquired by Boston Scientific, Omeat and BioRAE. He received his Ph.D. in bioengineering from MIT (2005), and MASc (2001) and BASc (1999) degrees from University of Toronto both in chemical engineering.

Li Tang
(EPFL, Switzerland)

Li Tang received his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University, China, in 2007, and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, in 2012, under the supervision of Prof. Jianjun Cheng. He was an CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Darrell Irvine at Massachusetts Institute of Technology during 2013-2016. He joined the faculty of Institute of Bioengineering, and Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in 2016, and promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2022. His research focuses on developing multidimensional immunoengineering approaches for enhanced cancer immunotherapies. Dr. Tang is the recipient of Cancer Research Institute CLIP Award (2021), Anna Fuller Award (2021 and 2022), and named in the MIT Technology Review’s "Top 35 Innovators under Age 35" list of China region (2020), Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator (2020), Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator (2019), and the recipient of European Research Council (ERC) starting grant (2018), and Nano Research Young Innovator Award (NR 45 under 45) (2018).

Nicholas Peppas
(University of Texas at Austin, USA)

Professor Nicholas A. Peppas is a chemical engineer, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist whose research contributions, innovations, inventions have led to 20 chemical/medical/pharmaceutical products.
Peppas is an elected member of the US-National Academy of Engineering, US- National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academy of Inventors, Academia Europaea, Canadian Engineering Academy, Indian National Engineering Academy, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Korean Academy of Science Technology, National Academy of France, Royal Academy of Spain, Academy of Athens, Greece, Academy of Romanian Scientists, and Academy of Texas. He has served as a Visiting Professor in the Universities of Geneva, Paris-Sud, Santiago de Compostela. Madrid, Lisbon, Parma, Pavia, Napoli, Hecettepe/Ankara, Athens, Berlin, Hebrew University/Jerusalem, Hoshi University/Tokyo, Nanyang University/Singapore, Sichuan University, Peking Medical College. Peppas is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics, Surgery and Pharmacy, and a member of the Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. His group has set the fundamentals of flow and transport phenomena in numerous medical problems, based on the principles of Engineering Science. He has numerous books, 1,800 publications and is cited in more than 193,000 references (H=202). Honored by 170 Awards including NAE Founders Award, NAM Adam Yarmolinsky, Pharmaceutical Global Leader Award, and the Biomaterials Global Impact Awards. Peppas holds a D.Eng. from NTU Athens, a ScD. from MIT and is the recipient of 13 honorary doctorates and professorships from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Romania, Israel and China. Editor of Regenerative Biomaterials (Oxford) and President on the International Sigma Xi organization. He actively works to diversify program interests, take an active role towards increasing the number of young members, and actively promote the election and participation of a diverse and inclusive group of scientists.

Yong Kiel Sung
(Dongguk University, Korea, Republic of)

Prof. Yong Kiel Sung is currently Honorary President, Korean Society for Biomaterials, Seoul, Korea. He is one of the pioneers in the areas of biomaterials science for hydrogels, biodegradable drug delivery systems, and stimuli sensitive polymers. He has published over 500 papers and trained over 100 scientists. He has elected as a President of the initiative for Science Promotion (ISP) in Korea.

Suong-Hyu Hyon
(BMG Inc., Japan)

Kyoto University PhD(engineering) attained in 1978, became member of Japan Society for promotion of Science in 1979, became lecturer at Kyoto University, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre in 1992, became visiting Professor at Kyoto University, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre in 1995, at University of Utah in 1997, at Yonsei University (South Korea) in 1998, became Associate Professor at Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University in 1998, became Kindai University Professor (Life Science Engineering) in 2009, became visiting Professor at Pusan National University (South Korea) in 2011, Retired position at Kyoto University, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre in 2012, became appointed Professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2012 and retired the position in 2018, became visiting Professor at Kagoshima University in 2018.

Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert
(University of Washington, USA)

Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert, Ph.D. is the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the University of Washington School of Medicine and Professor of Bioengineering. She earned a S.B. in chemical engineering and biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a M.S. and Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology. She joined the faculty at Washington University in Biomedical Engineering in 2000 as an Assistant Professor, where she advanced to the position of the Joseph and Florence Farrow Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Vice Dean for Research in the School of Engineering. She served as Department Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016- 2022.
Her research program focuses on developing biomaterials for drug delivery and cell transplantation for the treatment of peripheral nerve and spinal cord injury. She was Co-Director of the Center of Regenerative Medicine, as well as a member of the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering at Washington University. Her honors include Senior Scientist Award -TERMIS AM (2023), Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2017), Society for Biomaterials Clemson Award for Basic Research (2017), Outstanding Faculty Mentor from the WU Graduate Student Senate (2015), WU Distinguished Faculty Award (2013), and WU Dean’s Award for Excellence in Advising and Mentoring (2008). She was elected Fellow of the International College of Fellows in Biomaterials Science and Engineering in 2016, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2015, the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) in 2013, and the and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2011.

Brian Aguado
(University of California San Diego, USA)

Dr. Brian Aguado (Twitter: @BrianAguado) is currently an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego, where his laboratory research is focused on studying sex differences in cardiovascular disease using biomaterial technologies. Dr. Aguado completed his BS degree in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University and his MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. He also obtained his certificate in Management for Scientists and Engineers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Aguado has received the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, the American Heart Association Career Development Award, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership Award, and the NIH DP2 New Innovator Award to support his sex differences research. Dr. Aguado currently serves on the editorial advisory boards for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, GEN Biotechnology, and Frontiers in Bioengineering. Dr. Aguado is also a dedicated science communicator outside of the lab and enages historically excluded and marginalized populations in the sciences. Dr. Aguado co-founded LatinXinBME (Twitter: @LatinXinBME), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive community of Latinx biomedical engineers and scientists to support each other personally and professionally through their careers. For his efforts, he was named one of the 100 Most Inspiring Latinx Scientists in America by Cell Press and received the Biomaterials Diversity Award for Young Investigator from the Biomaterials journal and the GEMINI Faculty Mentor Award from the Institute for Engineering in Medicine.

Mary Beth Monroe
(Syracuse University, USA)

Dr. Mary Beth Monroe received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2013. Her dissertation research on tissue engineered vascular grafts was recognized by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Dr. Monroe conducted postdoctoral research on protein engineering for wound healing at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, which was supported by the NIH National Research Service Postdoctoral Award. Prior to starting her current position as Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University, Dr. Monroe was a research scientist in the Biomedical Device Lab at Texas A&M, where she worked on shape memory polymer-based medical devices. Her current research on using smart materials to improve wound healing is supported by a talented team of undergraduate and graduate student researchers and by funding from NIH and DoD. It has been recognized by awards including the Society for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award and the Rosalind Franklin Society Special Award in Science.

Mrignayani Kotecha
(O2M Technologies, LLC, USA)

Dr. Mrignayani Kotecha is a founding member and CEO of O2M Technologies, LLC. In this role, Dr. Kotecha leads business strategy, execution, and development while maintaining the company’s unique culture of innovation in the field of EPR imaging, instrumentation, spin-probes, and its applications to biomedical problems in cancer, neurology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Beyond her administrative, scientific, and fiduciary roles, Dr. Kotecha enjoys serving as an active educator and mentor with a passion for supporting the growth of the young generation of responsible scientists and citizens. Dr. Kotecha has a Ph.D. in Physics and post-doctoral and faculty experience at leading institutions around the world spanning three continents prior to O2M. She is the lead editor of the 2017 Wiley book “Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Tissue Engineering” and a guest editor for the special issue of “Molecular Imaging and Biology” about “Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging and Applications to Biomedical Sciences" which is expected to be released in April 2024. Dr. Kotecha received the 2024 C. William Hall Award from the “Society For Biomaterials.”

Yin Xiao
(Griffith University, Australia)

Prof. Yin Xiao is a distinguished professor of dentistry, oral health, and medicine at Griffith University, an adjunct professor of medical engineering at the Queensland University of Technology, and an honorary professor at the University of Queensland. He was a dental specialist (BDSc 1986 and MDSc 1991 from Wuhan University) and a research scientist (PhD 2000 from the University of Queensland). He is the Founder and the Director of the Australia-China Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (ACCTERM), established in 2013, and the Joint Research Centre of Functional Biomaterials for Tissue and Organ Replacement. His work predominantly focuses on bone, biomaterials, stem cells, dentistry, and tissue regeneration. He has authored more than 360 journal papers, three books, and 23 book chapters. His H index is 86 (GS), and his work has been cited more than 31,000 times. He was named one of the top 250 researchers in Australia and the field leader in Biomedical Technology in 2019 and 2021 by Australian Research Magazine. He is an awardee of Outstanding Scientist by the TERMIS-AP Society (2022) and one of the world’s top 2% scientists in the AD Scientific Index.

Roberta Maia Sabino
(University of Wyoming, USA)

My research focuses on the development of multifunctional materials for biomedical applications, particularly in the cardiovascular and orthopedic fields. This encompasses the design of novel nanostructured and biomimetic surfaces to enhance cellular and subcellular functions. Through these designs, we aim to improve the blood compatibility and biocompatibility of materials, while also promoting osteogenic activity and reducing the risk of bacterial infection. Furthermore, we are exploring the development of biomaterials that not only enhance interaction with the surrounding tissue but also have the capability to sense their local environment. My overarching goal is to elucidate the mechanisms behind tissue-biomaterial interaction and leverage this knowledge to create implants with superior performance, thereby preventing device failure.

Yong Taik Lim
(Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, Republic of)

Yong Taik Lim is a professor in the Department of Nano Engineering, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology and the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea. After he received his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2002, he joined John V. Franginoni's laboratory at Harvard Medical School as a postdoctoral research fellow. Currently, he is focusing on the development of immunomodulatory materials through immunobioengineering for enhanced cancer immunotherapy as well as the control of infectious diseases.

Jee-Heon Jeong
(Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, Republic of)

Currently serving as an Associate Professor at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, I hold editorial roles as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Controlled Release and the International Journal of Stem Cells, and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation. My research endeavors focus on enhancing the therapeutic efficiency of cell-based medicines through the utilization of drug delivery and tissue engineering technologies.

Sebastien Perrier
(University of Warwick, United Kingdom)

Professor Sébastien Perrier graduated from the Ecole National Supèrieure de Chimie de Montpellier, France, in 1998. He undertook his PhD at the University of Warwick, England, in polymer chemistry, and spent one year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Advances Macromolecular Design (University of New South Wales), Australia. He started his academic career at Leeds in 2002 as a lecturer, then moved to the University of Sydney in 2007, as director of the Key Centre for Polymers & Colloids. In October 2013, Sébastien was appointed as the Monash-Warwick Alliance Chair in Polymer Chemistry, a joint appointment between the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, UK, and the Faculty of Pharmacy at Monash University, Australia. Sébastien’s team focuses on the use of macromolecular engineering to design functional nanostructured materials, with applications ranging from material science to nanotechnology and nanomedicine. He has published over 300 articles, which have received over 20,000 citations (h-index 71), and supervised to date 57 PhD students and 31 postdocs. He has held a wide range of active roles in his discipline through involvements in professional and technical societies, including Macro Group UK, Australian RACI Polymer division, IUPAC committee, chairing of international conferences and through membership of editorial boards of international peer reviewed journals from RSC, ACS and Wiley. He is currently an Associate Editor of the RSC journal Polymer Chemistry, one of the top journals in the field of Polymer Science. His awards include the Macro Group UK Young Researcher Award (2006), the Rennie Memorial Medal (2009), the RACI Applied Research Award (2012), a Future Fellowship (2012), the Australian Academy of Science Le Fèvre Memorial Prize (2013), the Wolfson Merit Award (Royal Society, 2014), the Biomacromolecules / Macromolecules Young Investigator Award (ACS, 2014), the IUPAC / Samsung Young Polymer Scientist Award (IUPAC, 2014) and the Macro Group UK Medal (Macro Group UK, 2018).

Zhengwei Mao
(Zhejiang University, China)

Dr. Zhengwei Mao is an Associate Professor (2010-2018) and then a Professor (since 2019) in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University. He received a Ph.D. at Zhejiang University in the field of Materials Science and had a postdoc experience at Max Planck Institute of Colloids and interfaces, Germany. Dr. Mao’s research is focused on polymeric biomaterials, and seeks to control microstructure of materials for the purpose to manipulating the responses of cells and tissues, with the application for cancer therapy and tissue regeneration. Dr. Mao has published more than 150 papers in peer-review journals such as Nat Nano, Nat Comm, Sci Adv, Adv Mater, J Am Chem Soc, Angew Chem Int Ed, Biomaterials, ACS Nano, Nano Letters and so on. The publications were cited for over 9,500 times and H index is 52. His research has received international attention and “young investigator award” from Chinese Association of Biomaterials. He now serves as one of the editors of Acta Biomaterialia.

Xiaojun Cai
(Wenzhou Medical University, China)

Xiaojun Cai, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Ph.D. Supervisor of Wenzhou Medical University; He has long been engaged in the controlled delivery of gas transmitters, exploring their potential applications in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other fields; He has published more than 30 papers in Advanced Materials, Materials Today, Adv. Funct. Mater, Biomaterials, Small, and other Journals; He has more than 10 Chinese invention patents and has led a number of national, provincial and ministerial scientific research projects; He has been selected as a high-level health innovation talent in Zhejiang Province, a high-level top talent in Zhejiang Province, and a leading talent in colleges and universities.

Catherine Le Visage
(Nantes University, France)

Catherine Le Visage is a Research Director and the Deputy Director of the Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton lab in Nantes, France (www.rmes.univ-nantes.fr). She was trained as a Pharmacist, received her Ph.D. in Paris then performed a post-doc at the Johns Hopkins University (USA). She then joined the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in a tenured position.
In the "Skeletal Physiopathology and Joint Regenerative Medicine" team headed by Prof J. Guicheux, her most recent works as a group leader have focused on innovative hydrogels as i) carriers of cells or bioactive molecules in the context of IVD disease and osteoarthritis and ii) biofabrication tools for the development of in vitro models.
She is an elected member of the TERMIS-EU Council, an elected member of the French Academy of Pharmacy, an Associate Editor for Biomaterials (Elsevier), a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of "ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces" and a reviewer for national and international funding agencies.
She has co-authored 81 publications (h-index 34) and 11 patents and has given 70 invited lectures/seminars at national and international conferences. WoS profile: E-5460-2011

Sing Yian Chew
(Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Dr. Sing Yian CHEW is a Professor at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is known for her contributions in designing biomimetic scaffolds to understand and control cell fate. Dr. Chew’s most significant contribution is in the field of scaffold-mediated delivery of gene-silencing and biomimicking physical signals for neural tissue regeneration and remyelination. Specifically, her lab engineers bio-functional platforms for long-term delivery of biologics. These scaffolding constructs may be used for understanding and directing neural tissue regeneration after traumatic injuries, stem cell fate and host-implant integration. Since joining NTU, Dr. Chew has continued to embark on scientific learning and exchanges by serving as visiting scholar/professor at Johns Hopkins University, University of Edinburgh, INSERM (U698 and U791); University of Paris 13; University of Nantes; Jinan University in Guangzhou, China; Wyss Institute at Harvard. She is an Associate Editor at ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. She also serves as the editorial board member of Biomaterials, Experimental Neurology, Tissue Engineering, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Part A, Drug Delivery and Translational Research, Journal of Tissue Engineering.

Hee Seok Yang
(Dankook University, Korea, Republic of)

I have a broad background in micro/nanofabrication, biomaterials, and tissue engineering, with specific training and expertise in key research areas for this application. Since 2013, I have been an assistant professor in the Department of Nanobiomedical Science at Dankook University.

Kisuk Yang
(Incheon National University, Korea, Republic of)

Prof. Kisuk Yang is an Assistant Professor (2021 ~ ) in the Division of Bioengineering at Incheon National University. He received his Ph.D. from Yonsei University under the supervision of Prof. Seung-Woo Cho in 2016 and completed his postdoctoral training in Prof. Jeff Karp’s lab at BWH, Harvard medical school and Broad institute (MIT and Harvard) (2017 ~ 2021).

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Prof.KisukYang works in the fields of stem cell, medical device, and tissue engineering. His laboratory focuses on the design and testing of bioengineered tissues, which are composed of mainly stem cell derived cells (e.g., neural cells, pancreatic cells, and osteogenic cells) and tissue-specific extracellular matrix scaffolds. The overall goal is to develop new strategies to assemble and test bioengineered constructs capable of restoring tissue function.

Hyung Joon Cha
(Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea, Republic of)

Hyung Joon Cha received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1995. From 1996 to 1998, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, USA and the Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1998-1999. He joined POSTECH in 1999.

His area of interest includes biomolecules-based biomaterials, tissue and biomedical engineering, drug delivery systems, and biosensors. He has published ~250 peer-reviewed research papers and holds more than 100-registrated patents.

Currently, he is the Dean of Engineering and SeAH Chair Professor of POSTECH and the Director of Biomaterials Research Institute (Previously, Marine BioMaterials Research Center) funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea through recognition of his prominent works on mussel-derived adhesive biomaterials for biomedical and healthcare applications. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO/CTO of Nature Gluetech Co., Ltd for technology commercialization of mussel adhesive protein as an innovative medical bioadhesive.

His work has been recognized by many awards, including a Korea Engineering Award of the Korean President, Inventor of The Year Award, a 2020 Future 100 Best Technologies and Researchers Award, a 2012 National R&D 100 Best Researcher Award, and a Song-Gok Science and Technology Award.

He is currently a Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK), the President of the Korean Society for Marine Biotechnology (KSMB), and the President of the Korea Marine Biotechnology Industry Organization (K-MarineBIO).

Tiago H. Silva
(University of Minho, Portugal)

Tiago H. Silva is Principal Researcher (tenured) at 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, from University of Minho (Portugal), member of ICVS/3B’s Associated Laboratory, being coordinator of research on Marine Inspired Biomaterials. He is also member of the General Council of the University of Minho and of the Unit Council and Scientific Council of I3Bs.
He his graduated in Chemistry (2001) and PhD in Chemistry (2006), both by Faculty of Sciences – University of Porto (Portugal) working in surface modification by electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers, with a visiting period at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland).
He has about 17 years of experience in valorization of marine resources and by-products and his research focus on the cross-talk between blue and red biotechnologies, by aiming the development of marine inspired biomaterials for regenerative medicine strategies, mainly focusing bone and cartilage tissue engineering and advanced therapies for cancer and diabetes. His team has established methodologies for the production of marine collagens, squid chitosan, fucoidans, calcium phosphates and biosilica from marine resources and derived by-products and their processing (freeze-drying, photocrosslinking, ionic and thermal gelation, polymer complexation, 3D printing and bioprinting, among others) envisioning biomedical application. Marine biomimetics is also being explored, looking into particular features and phenomena of marine sponges and other marine invertebrates as inspiration for the design of innovative biomedical applications and smart materials. A focus is given to functional properties, enrolled in collagen aggregation and hierarchical morphologies.
He is currently Board Member of the European Society for Marine Biotechnology and actively participating in several working groups and other forums on the topic.

Hyung Joon Cha
(Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea, Republic of)

Hyung Joon Cha received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1995. From 1996 to 1998, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, USA and the Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1998-1999. He joined POSTECH in 1999.

His area of interest includes biomolecules-based biomaterials, tissue and biomedical engineering, drug delivery systems, and biosensors. He has published ~250 peer-reviewed research papers and holds more than 100-registrated patents.

Currently, he is the Dean of Engineering and SeAH Chair Professor of POSTECH and the Director of Biomaterials Research Institute (Previously, Marine BioMaterials Research Center) funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea through recognition of his prominent works on mussel-derived adhesive biomaterials for biomedical and healthcare applications. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO/CTO of Nature Gluetech Co., Ltd for technology commercialization of mussel adhesive protein as an innovative medical bioadhesive.

His work has been recognized by many awards, including a Korea Engineering Award of the Korean President, Inventor of The Year Award, a 2020 Future 100 Best Technologies and Researchers Award, a 2012 National R&D 100 Best Researcher Award, and a Song-Gok Science and Technology Award.

He is currently a Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK), the President of the Korean Society for Marine Biotechnology (KSMB), and the President of the Korea Marine Biotechnology Industry Organization (K-MarineBIO).

Tiago H. Silva
(University of Minho, Portugal)

Tiago H. Silva is Principal Researcher (tenured) at 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, from University of Minho (Portugal), member of ICVS/3B’s Associated Laboratory, being coordinator of research on Marine Inspired Biomaterials. He is also member of the General Council of the University of Minho and of the Unit Council and Scientific Council of I3Bs.
He his graduated in Chemistry (2001) and PhD in Chemistry (2006), both by Faculty of Sciences – University of Porto (Portugal) working in surface modification by electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers, with a visiting period at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland).
He has about 17 years of experience in valorization of marine resources and by-products and his research focus on the cross-talk between blue and red biotechnologies, by aiming the development of marine inspired biomaterials for regenerative medicine strategies, mainly focusing bone and cartilage tissue engineering and advanced therapies for cancer and diabetes. His team has established methodologies for the production of marine collagens, squid chitosan, fucoidans, calcium phosphates and biosilica from marine resources and derived by-products and their processing (freeze-drying, photocrosslinking, ionic and thermal gelation, polymer complexation, 3D printing and bioprinting, among others) envisioning biomedical application. Marine biomimetics is also being explored, looking into particular features and phenomena of marine sponges and other marine invertebrates as inspiration for the design of innovative biomedical applications and smart materials. A focus is given to functional properties, enrolled in collagen aggregation and hierarchical morphologies.
He is currently Board Member of the European Society for Marine Biotechnology and actively participating in several working groups and other forums on the topic.

Hafez Jafari
(Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, CMAC - Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, Belgium)

Hafez is currently a BOF Postdoctoral Fellow at the Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group at Ghent University, Belgium. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Polymer Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2018. His research during this period was at the forefront of bone tissue engineering, notably in the development of phospho-calcified cellulose nanowhiskers to promote osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells. He expanded his expertise at the Université libre de Bruxelles, where he pursued a Ph.D. within the BioMatter group. His doctoral research culminated in the design of three-dimensional anti-infectious hydrogels with dual functionalities—adhesiveness and therapeutic effects, tailored specifically for skin wound healing applications. After earning his Ph.D., Hafez was awarded the BOF postdoctoral fellowship. His current project is ambitiously centered on the development of enzyme-based hydrogels for diabetic wound healing integrating multiple therapeutic modalities, including photothermal therapy (PTT), enhanced adhesiveness, hypoxia and hyperglycemia alleviation, diagnosis and sensing, and robust anti-bacterial properties, setting a new standard in the field of medical biomaterials.

Yoshihiro Ito
(RIKEN, Japan)

Yoshihiro Ito received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in polymer chemistry at Kyoto University and was awarded a doctorate in engineering from the same university in 1987. After assistant and associate professor at Kyoto University, professor of the University of Tokushima, now, he is a Chief Scientist and Director of the Nano Medical Engineering Laboratory at the RIKEN Institute (from 2004) and a Team Leader of RIKEN CEMS (from 2013). His research focuses on biomaterial science, regenerative medical engineering, combinatorial bioengineering, functional polymers, and soft nanotechnology, and biochips.

Pengchao Zhao
(South China University of Technology, China)

Dr. Zhao received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2019, and afterward, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Prof. Liming Bian and Prof. Gang Li. Dr. Zhao joined the South China University of Technology in January 2023 and was appointed as a professor and doctoral supervisor. Dr. Zhao is mainly engaged in the design of new liquid-liquid phase separation systems (Coacervates) of biomedical polymers. Dr. Zhao has authored or co-authored over 20 academic papers, including Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Mater. Today, Adv. Funct. Mater., and other internationally renowned journals.

Sangamesh Kumbar
(University of Connecticut Health, USA)

Dr. Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar, Ph.D., is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of orthopedic surgery at the University of Connecticut Health (UConn Health). He holds a core faculty position in the Biomedical Engineering Department and boasts a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering within the UConn School of Engineering. Recognized for his exceptional contributions to the field, Dr. Kumbar is an elected member of the prestigious Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

Dr. Kumbar's academic journey began with a strong foundation in polymer science, culminating in a Ph.D. in this field. He subsequently served as a Tenured Scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, India, before embarking on his international research career.

His tenure at the University of Virginia included roles as a Research Associate and Assistant Professor Research, where he honed his expertise in the realms of biomaterials and micro-nanostructured matrices. In 2008, he embarked on his independent career at UConn Health, where he has since become a prominent figure in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering.

Dr. Kumbar's research endeavors revolve around the synthesis and characterization of innovative polymeric biomaterials and micro-nanostructured matrices. These materials find application in diverse areas, including tissue engineering and drug delivery. His pioneering work has garnered recognition and extensive citations in top-tier biomaterials journals, underscoring the impact of his contributions.

In addition to his groundbreaking research, Dr. Kumbar is a dedicated educator. He imparts his knowledge to students through multiple specialized courses aligned with his area of expertise. Furthermore, he serves as a mentor to budding scholars and postdoctoral fellows, nurturing the next generation of researchers.

Dr. Kumbar's commitment to advancing the field extends to his editorial roles. He serves as an Associate Editor of "Bioactive Materials" and sits on the editorial boards of several other prominent journals in the field. Furthermore, he has co-edited three influential textbooks, namely "Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers," "Bio-Instructive Scaffolds for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine," and "Artificial Protein and Peptide Nanofibers," further cementing his status as a thought leader in biomaterials.

Beyond his academic and research roles, Dr. Kumbar remains actively engaged with professional organizations such as the Society for Biomaterials (SFB), Materials Research Society (MRS), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He volunteers his time and expertise in scholarly, educational, and mentorship activities, making lasting contributions to the field. Dr. Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar's multifaceted contributions have significantly enriched the landscape of biomaterials and tissue engineering, and he continues to be a driving force in these domains

Syam Nukavarapu
(University of Connecticut, USA)

Syam Nukavarapu, Ph.D., is a Castleman Professor in Engineering Innovation at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut (UConn). He holds joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UConn, and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health. Dr. Nukavarapu leads the Tissue Engineering Science and Technology Laboratory (TEST Lab) at UConn, and his research interests include biomaterials, engineered grafts, and tissue engineering. Dr. Nukavarapu has authored over eighty original articles, book chapters, and invited opinion articles/reviews. He co-edited a textbook on tissue engineering, MRS symposium proceedings on bioinspired materials and structures, and a special issue on the topic of “Future of Biomaterials.” He serves on the editorial boards of major journals in the field, including Biomaterials, Bioactive Materials, and Tissue Engineering. Dr. Nukavarapu received a distinguished engineering educator award and has been an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

Gulden Camci-Unal
(UMASS Lowell, USA)

Dr. Gulden Camci-Unal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her current research interests include the development of unconventional biomaterials such as eggshell microparticle-reinforced scaffolds, paper-based cell culture platforms, plant-derived scaffolds, and origami-inspired tissue engineered products. She also works on developing multicellular and compartmentalized tissue mimetics for regenerative engineering, hydrogel-based platforms for personalized medicine, bioactive scaffolds for template-guided biomineralization, oxygen-generating biomaterials for tissue repair, stem cell delivery approaches, and paper-based biosensors for low-cost and rapid detection of bacterial and viral diseases including Covid-19. Her research has been supported by the NIH, NSF, US Army, ONR, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), American Heart Association (AHA), and Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBIR and STTR grants. Dr. Camci-Unal’s research and teaching achievements include the Robert and Gail Ward Endowed Professorship (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), University of Massachusetts Lowell Teaching Excellence Award, Iowa State University Teaching Excellence Award, Runner-Up for the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) $200K Challenge (2019, 2020), Wakonse Fellowship, Chevron-Phillips Award, Procter&Gamble Fellowship, and finalist for BioFlux Innovation Award. Her research has resulted in 94+ papers, 88+ conference abstracts, and 10+ patent applications so far. She is an Associate Editor for Bioactive Materials, and an Editorial Board member of Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group), PLoS One, Gels, Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine, International Journal of Bioprinting, and Micromachines.

Michael Monaghan
(Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)

Michael Monaghan is Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His group’s primary research areas are in electroconductive biomaterials, cardiac tissue regeneration, and real-time imaging of metabolism in differentiation and disease. He leads a number of interdisciplinary projects between other academic groups and industry ranging from immunometabolism, evaluation of fibrosis, and induced pluripotent stem cell derivitisation of cardiac organoids and resident immune cell populations.

His expertise and leadership of FLIM microscopy has been recognised through publication of studies in several internationally renowned journals and awarding of a Horizon Europe MSCA-doctoral network (2021) based on FLIM excellence where he is the lead coordinator. Most recently, he is the 2023 recipient of the TERMIS Robert Brown Early Career Investigator Award (2023), a European Research Council Consolidator Awardee (2023) and Science Foundation Ireland Frontier for the Future Laureate (2024).

Kwideok Park
(Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, Republic of)

Dr. Kwideok Park is the principal research scientist at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Republic of Korea. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 2001. His major research interest is extracellular matrix (ECM) engineering, where it harnesses human cells-derived, decellularized ECM (hdECM) as a new class of pro-regenerative material. He has spent more than 12 years in this field and published many scientific articles. Currently, his hdECM has progressed into various types of formulations, such as hydrogel, patch, sponge and powder for translational approach. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and wrote several book chapters. Dr. Park is currently a vice president of Korean Society for Biomaterials and Korean Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine. He also serves as an editorial board member of Biomaterials Research and Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Jennifer H. Shin
(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, Republic of)

Dr. Jennifer H. Shin is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). She earned her Bachelor of Science (1998), Master of Science (2000), and Doctor of Philosophy (2004) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research focuses on the emerging interdisciplinary field of mechanobiology, and she uses quantitative experimental and analytical tools to investigate the links between pathophysiological responses and physical stresses at the cellular level. Dr. Shin has demonstrated her commitment to academic excellence through her involvement in several academic societies across the fields of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering in Korea. She has served as a board member for seven of these societies and has also been an organizing committee member for several international conferences.

Viola Vogel
(ETH Zürich, Switzerland)

Viola Vogel is Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST) and is directing the Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. She holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Frankfurt (1987) based on her research conducted at the Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen (1980-88). After her postdoctoral studies in the Department of Physics at UC Berkeley in nonlinear optics, she started her academic career at the University of Washington Seattle in Bioengineering (1990-2004) and was the founding Director of the Center for Nanotechnology (1997-2003). When moving to ETH Zurich in 2004, she initially joined the Department of Materials, and then co-founded (2012) the Department Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), in which she later served as Vice Chair (2016-2018) and then Chair (2018-2020). To enhance translational aspects, she became an Einstein Visiting Fellow at Charité Berlin in 2018. As most knowledge in Biology and Medicine is based on equilibrium structures of proteins, even today, she co-founded the ETH start-up Company Tandem Therapeutics in 2023 with the goal to exploit emerging knowledge in Mechanobiology for medical applications, with a focus in regenerative medicine.

With her background in Physics and Bioengineering, she pioneered the rapidly growing field of Molecular Mechanobiology and its medical applications, as she discovered many structural mechanisms how mechanical forces can turn proteins into mechano-chemical switches. Such mechanisms are exploited by bacteria, as well as by mammalian cells and tissues to sense and respond to mechanical forces and material properties, and if abnormal, can cause various diseases. She showed further how bacteria, platelets, immune and stem cells are functionally tuned by mechanobiological factors, and how this impacts our abilities to fight infections, as well as blood coagulation and tissue growth processes.

Her work was internationally recognized by numerous awards, major lectureships, services for international organizations and Institutions (Gordon Research Conferences Organization, Wyss Institute Boston, Human Frontiers Science Program, British Marshall Fund, Humboldt Foundation, Max-Planck Society, LMU Munich, etc), the U.S. government (including the PCAST committee that finalized the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the National Research Council and NASA), scientific advisory boards in Germany, France, Netherlands, U.S.A., Singapore, and the U.K.. She was awarded the Otto-Hahn Medal (1989), the Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics (2006), the International Solvay Chair in Chemistry (Brussels 2012), and received an ERC Advanced Grant (2008), as well as an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Tampere University (2012). She was a member of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum, serves on the Jury of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (since 2015) and was elected into the Leopoldina (2018), the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (2019), as well as the US National Academy of Engineering (2020) and the National Academy of Sciences (2021) and most recently into the Royal Academy of Engineering UK (2023).

Dong-Hwee Kim
(Korea University, Korea, Republic of)

Dong-Hwee Kim is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Energy Engineering and KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology at Korea University. Before joining Korea University as a tenuretrack faculty member, he was a postdoctoral research fellow of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Physical Sciences-Oncology Center at Johns Hopkins University.
He graduated from Korea University with a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with an M.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He received a Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2013. His research focuses on multilevel cellular mechanics, physics
of cancer, and cellular mechanosensation and mechanotransduction as well as disease biophysics.

Castro Johnbosco
(University of Twente, Netherlands)

Doctoral Student University of Twente
Driving material science towards Mechanobiology and Regenerative medicine

Jian Yang
(Westlake University, China)

Dr. Jian Yang is currently a Chair Professor in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering, the chair of Biomedical Engineering Program, and an Associate Vice President at the Westlake University. Prior to Westlake, he was a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Regenerative Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Yang is known for his pioneering contribution on citrate chemistry and biology for the development and applications of citrate-based biomaterials. He was a recipient of NSF CAREER Award (2010), Outstanding Young Engineering Faculty Award at UTA (2011), PSEAS Outstanding Research Award at Penn State (2018), and BMES Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation Award (2023). Dr. Yang is an elected Fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE, 2016), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI, 2018), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES, 2020), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 2021), and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE, 2023). Dr. Yang is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of “Bioactive Materials”, and an Associate Editor of “Science Advances”. Dr. Yang is a co-founder and the Past-President of Chinese Association for Biomaterials (CAB) and the recipient of 2023 CAB Distinguished Leadership and Service Award. Dr. Yang co-founded a medical device company, Aleo BME, Inc. and is also serving on the Scientific Advisory Board of Acuitive Technologies, LLC.

Sangamesh Kumbar
(University of Connecticut, USA)

Dr. Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar, Ph.D., is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of orthopedic surgery at the University of Connecticut Health (UConn Health). He holds a core faculty position in the Biomedical Engineering Department and boasts a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering within the UConn School of Engineering. Recognized for his exceptional contributions to the field, Dr. Kumbar is an elected member of the prestigious Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

Dr. Kumbar's academic journey began with a strong foundation in polymer science, culminating in a Ph.D. in this field. He subsequently served as a Tenured Scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, India, before embarking on his international research career.

His tenure at the University of Virginia included roles as a Research Associate and Assistant Professor Research, where he honed his expertise in the realms of biomaterials and micro-nanostructured matrices. In 2008, he embarked on his independent career at UConn Health, where he has since become a prominent figure in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering.

Dr. Kumbar's research endeavors revolve around the synthesis and characterization of innovative polymeric biomaterials and micro-nanostructured matrices. These materials find application in diverse areas, including tissue engineering and drug delivery. His pioneering work has garnered recognition and extensive citations in top-tier biomaterials journals, underscoring the impact of his contributions.

In addition to his groundbreaking research, Dr. Kumbar is a dedicated educator. He imparts his knowledge to students through multiple specialized courses aligned with his area of expertise. Furthermore, he serves as a mentor to budding scholars and postdoctoral fellows, nurturing the next generation of researchers.

Dr. Kumbar's commitment to advancing the field extends to his editorial roles. He serves as an Associate Editor of "Bioactive Materials" and sits on the editorial boards of several other prominent journals in the field. Furthermore, he has co-edited three influential textbooks, namely "Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers," "Bio-Instructive Scaffolds for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine," and "Artificial Protein and Peptide Nanofibers," further cementing his status as a thought leader in biomaterials.

Beyond his academic and research roles, Dr. Kumbar remains actively engaged with professional organizations such as the Society for Biomaterials (SFB), Materials Research Society (MRS), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He volunteers his time and expertise in scholarly, educational, and mentorship activities, making lasting contributions to the field. Dr. Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar's multifaceted contributions have significantly enriched the landscape of biomaterials and tissue engineering, and he continues to be a driving force in these domains

Jung Seung Lee
(Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, Republic of)

I am a bioengineer having a research goal to identify current therapeutic limitations and to find solutions of them through biomaterials development for translational medicine. I majored in biotechnology and received my PhD in 2017 from the Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, where I studied under the supervision of Prof. Seung-Woo Cho. My previous works were focused on the development of novel functional biomaterials for improving efficacy of stem cell therapeutics and tissue regeneration.

Lia Rimondini
(University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy)

Full Professor of Applied Medical Sciences and Technologies and Director of the Department of Health Sciences of the Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
She is an expert in tissue engineering and in R&D of biomaterials and medical devices with anti-infective properties for regenerative medicine. She integrates technological knowledge with regulatory aspects and clinical practice with particular attention to dentistry and orthopedics. She is principal investigator and coordinator of several international research projects in the above-mentioned topics.

Abhay Pandit
(CURAM SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices; University of Galway, Ireland)

Professor Abhay Pandit, spanning over 32 years, has made significant contributions to biomaterials and medical device translation. After spending seven successful years in the industry, Prof. Pandit transitioned to academia, where he has dedicated the past 25 years to his work.

A notable achievement in Prof. Pandit's career is the establishment of CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research in Medical Devices at the University of Galway in Ireland. Serving as a thriving hub for more than 1000 researchers, CÚRAM brings together experts from diverse disciplines including biomaterials, biomechanics, regenerative medicine, glycobiology, drug delivery, and medical implant design. Through collaborations with industry partners, the center actively fosters innovation and facilitates the translation of research into practical applications.

Prof. Pandit derives his inspiration from comprehending fundamental pathological processes influenced by glycomodulation. This understanding enables him to develop superior biomaterial substrates for materials design, with a particular focus on degenerative or chronic conditions associated with the cardiovascular, neural, and intervertebral disc domains.

Prof. Pandit has accumulated over €175 million in research contracts from industry and government funding agencies. His work has resulted in the filing of 28 patents, while 14 other patent applications are currently pending. Furthermore, Prof. Pandit has successfully licensed several technologies to medical device companies, amplifying the practical impact of his research.

Prof. Pandit's research contributions are well-documented through his publication record. He has authored more than 345 manuscripts, which have been featured in esteemed publications such as Science Advances, Nature Communication, Science Translational Medicine, PNAS, Advanced Materials, Journal of American Chemical Society, Advanced Functional Materials, Biomaterials, and Molecular Therapy. Additionally, he has presented over 715 papers at national and international conferences, further disseminating his findings and insights to the scientific community.

Prof. Pandit actively engages in editorial activities. He holds a position on the Executive Editorial Board of the Tissue Engineering journal and is the Senior Associate Editor for the Biomaterials journal. Additionally, he chairs the EU Chapter of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society, showcasing his leadership and influence within the discipline.

Prof. Pandit's contributions have garnered him prestigious awards, including the George Winter Award 2022 from the European Society for Biomaterials and the Chandra P Sharma Award from the Society for Biomaterials and Artificial Organs India. Furthermore, he has been honored as a Fellow of AIMBE, TERMIS, IAE, and IUSBSE, reflecting his standing in the scientific community.

Andrea Cochis
(University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy)

Andrea Cochis, PhD, is Associate Professor of Applied Medical Technology and Methodology in the Department of Health Sciences belonging to the School of Medicine of the University of Piemonte Orientale UPO, Novara, Italy. AC holds a master degree in Molecular Biotechnologies from the University of Turin and a PhD in Biotechnology for Human Health obtained from the UPO University. His main research is aimed at biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with particular attention to the development of innovative technologies based on complex experimental models such as 3D tissues, platforms involving bioreactors and cell cultures with particular reference to Orthopedics (bone and cartilage). He is also interested in microbiology, with a specific focus on antibacterial biomaterials preventing implants’ infections as well as he is expert in complex bacteria-cells co-culture models resembling the race for the surface occurring on the surface of the implanted biomaterials. He has expertise in systems biology, molecular biology, advanced 3D models and biomedical platforms aimed at tissue regeneration. He is author of >90 articles in indexed international journals, he is co-inventor of 2 patents related to innovative materials for tissue engineering and he is currently participating in 6 projects funded by the European Commission under the Horizon scheme and 2 National projects funded by the Italian Ministry for Education and University.

Jose Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello
(University of Valladolid, Spain)

Prof. J. Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello (1963). Carlos got, first, a degree in chemistry (Biochemistry) and, later a second degree in physics (Condensed Matter), both at the University of Valladolid in Spain, where he also obtained his doctoral degree. He is full professor in the Condensed Matter Physics department of the University of Valladolid and the head of the Bioforge Lab, a research group founded in 1996 and devoted to the development of recombinamers in a pioneering effort on the use of genetic engineering and other biotechnologies for the creation of advanced materials. His interests move from studying basic knowledge on self-organization and the interplay between order and disorder in protein-like systems to applications of those materials in fields such as regenerative medicine, nanomedicine and nanotechnology. Complexity and multi(bio)functionality are the characteristics of the systems developed by his group. Carlos has published about 250 papers in indexed journals and is inventor on 15 patent applications, 5 of them transferred and under exploitation. He is also cofounder of two startups; Technical Proteins Nanobiotechnology SL., of which he is the current CEO, and CellDrive 3D S.L. (as Chief Scientific Adviser)

Anthony Weiss
(University of Sydney, Australia)

Professor Tony Weiss is the President of TERMIS, and McCaughey Chair in Biochemistry, Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology, Director of the Charles Perkins Centre’s Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory and NHMRC Leadership Fellow at the University of Sydney. His research on the elastic protein tropoelastin underpins novel applications in wound repair. He is a serial inventor on 172 granted patents in 23 families, and founded Elastagen which was sold in one of the largest national healthcare transactions. He was awarded the Order of Australia, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Royal Society of NSW, American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, and the US National Academy of Inventors. He is a highly decorated innovator, with multiple innovation medals from the RACI, ATSE’s Clunies Ross Medal, the Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research, NSW Premier’s Prize for Science & Engineering Leadership in Innovation, and the top innovation prize in Australia: the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation.

Alvaro Mata
(University of Nottingham, United Kingdom)

Alvaro Mata is Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials in the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Kansas, a Master's Degree from the University of Strathclyde, and a Doctor of Engineering Degree from Cleveland State University working with Prof. Shuvo Roy at the Cleveland Clinic. He conducted his postdoctoral training with Prof. Samuel Stupp at Northwestern University. His group focuses on bioinspired and biocooperative strategies to build functional biomaterials with biomolecules. His work has led to eight patents or patent applications; publications in journals including Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, and Science Advances, and recognitions such as a Welcome Trust Frontiers Innovation Award, a Ramon y Cajal Fellowship, and an ERC Staring Grant. He is President of the Mineralized Tissue Group of the International Association of Dental Research and Co-chair of the Manufacturing, Commercial and Regulatory Committee of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform (UKRMP2) - Smart Materials Hub.

Yafang Chen
(Sichuan university, China)

My name is Yafang Chen, and I am affiliated with the School of Biomedical Engineering at Sichuan University. Currently, I hold a position as a postdoctoral researcher.
My primary research endeavors have been concentrated on a series of projects centered on the regeneration and repair of articular cartilage/bone/skin. My research has placed special emphasis on the design, synthesis, and application of functional biomaterials within the interdisciplinary domain of medicine. In this capacity, I have taken charge of one National Natural Science Foundation project, secured funding for two postdoctoral projects and received funding for projects in Sichuan Province, as well as for horizontal projects. As a principal investigator, I have also extended to involvement in several "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" national key research and development projects, National Natural Science Foundation projects, and key research and development initiatives under the aegis of the Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Department.
Over the past five years, I have published more than 20 SCI papers, with seven research papers as first author/corresponding author in journals such as Biomaterials, Carbohydrate Polymers, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. I have filed six domestic and international invention patents, two of which have been successfully granted at the national level. Additionally, I have had the privilege of presenting my research findings at numerous domestic and international academic conferences.

Susana Olhero
(University of Aveiro, Portugal)

Susana Olhero (SO) obtained her Doctorate degree in the field of Material Science and Engineering at the University of Aveiro (UA). She is now Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering/UA in the Biomaterials filed. Her research has been highly focused in the colloidal processing of bioceramic-based materials by several techniques including additive manufacturing, namely in the fabrication of scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

Susana Olhero
(University of Aveiro, Portugal)

Susana Olhero (SO) obtained her Doctorate degree in the field of Material Science and Engineering at the University of Aveiro (UA). She is now Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering/UA in the Biomaterials filed. Her research has been highly focused in the colloidal processing of bioceramic-based materials by several techniques including additive manufacturing, namely in the fabrication of scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

Harikrishna Varma
(SCTIMST, India)

Dr. Harikrishna Varma P R is currently Head, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum An Institution of National Importance, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. SCTIMST is a premier science institution with a track record of biomaterial, biomedical device development, testing under GMP, GLP umbrella and translation. Dr. Varma is a pioneer in the field of Bioceramics in India with a remarkable publication record and with multiple products in the market currently. Dr. Varma is currently active in the following areas:
- Micro and nano porous bioceramic substrates having capacity to carry drugs and biologics for the treatment of refractory osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis,
- Bone filler cements based on calcium sulphate and calcium phosphates, which are superior in resorption characteristics and having the capacity for drug delivery.
- Coating of hydroxyapatite layers on to titanium implant surface using Pulsed Laser Deposition technique, so as to increase the integration with bone.
- Silica-based biosensors for the detection of markers in blood for diagnostic applications.
- Magnetic nanoparticles for radiological and therapeutic applications.
- Biomimetic materials as bone implants.

Harikrishna Varma
(SCTIMST, India)

Dr. Harikrishna Varma P R is currently Head, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum An Institution of National Importance, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. SCTIMST is a premier science institution with a track record of biomaterial, biomedical device development, testing under GMP, GLP umbrella and translation. Dr. Varma is a pioneer in the field of Bioceramics in India with a remarkable publication record and with multiple products in the market currently. Dr. Varma is currently active in the following areas:
- Micro and nano porous bioceramic substrates having capacity to carry drugs and biologics for the treatment of refractory osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis,
- Bone filler cements based on calcium sulphate and calcium phosphates, which are superior in resorption characteristics and having the capacity for drug delivery.
- Coating of hydroxyapatite layers on to titanium implant surface using Pulsed Laser Deposition technique, so as to increase the integration with bone.
- Silica-based biosensors for the detection of markers in blood for diagnostic applications.
- Magnetic nanoparticles for radiological and therapeutic applications.
- Biomimetic materials as bone implants.

Probal Basu
(University of Oslo, Norway)

Dr. Probal Basu is currently working as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA-PF) at Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, Norway.

Giulia Crivello
(Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

Giulia Crivello obtained a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Torino (2017) and a master’s degree in Bioengineering at EPFL in Lausanne (2020).
She performed her master’s thesis in prof. Barker's laboratory (A*star, Singapore) studying the effect of AQP5 in gastric cancer with mouse models and cancer cell lines. During her studies, she also worked in the research and development department of Abionic, a Swiss company developing microfluidic systems for rapid diagnostics. 
Since 2020, she is doing a Ph.D. at Politecnico di Torino under the supervision of prof. Ciardelli and prof. Mattu, where she is studying the development of polyfunctional nanoparticles to be integrated into supramolecular hydrogels for the treatment of chronic wounds. She is also collaborating with prof. Tzanov's lab at UPC in Barcelona where she worked for 6 months.

Probal Basu
(University of Oslo, Norway)

Dr. Probal Basu is currently working as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA-PF) at Department of Biomaterials, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, Norway.

Takashi Miyata
(Kansai University, Japan)

Takashi Miyata received his Ph.D. degree from Kobe University in 1994. He started his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Kansai University in 1991. Then he was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1999 and a Full Professor in 2008 at Kansai University. He also conducted research as a Visiting Scientist at Stanford University (1997) and as a PRESTO Researcher of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (2002–2010). His research group has designed various smart soft materials such as hydrogels, membranes, films and particles for biomedical and environmental applications. He has focused on biomolecular complexes and supramolecular interactions as dynamic crosslinks for designing smart biomaterials and biomedical systems. He received several scientific awards, for example, SPSJ Wiley Award (2008), The Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2020), The Award of The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan (2020), The Award of The Adhesion Society of Japan (2022), and so on.

Takashi Miyata
(Kansai University, Japan)

Takashi Miyata received his Ph.D. degree from Kobe University in 1994. He started his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Kansai University in 1991. Then he was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1999 and a Full Professor in 2008 at Kansai University. He also conducted research as a Visiting Scientist at Stanford University (1997) and as a PRESTO Researcher of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (2002–2010). His research group has designed various smart soft materials such as hydrogels, membranes, films and particles for biomedical and environmental applications. He has focused on biomolecular complexes and supramolecular interactions as dynamic crosslinks for designing smart biomaterials and biomedical systems. He received several scientific awards, for example, SPSJ Wiley Award (2008), The Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2020), The Award of The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan (2020), The Award of The Adhesion Society of Japan (2022), and so on.

Tooru Ooya
(Kobe University, Japan)

Tooru Ooya is Professor of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Medical Device Engineering and Center for Advanced Medical Engineering Research & Development (CAMED) at Kobe University (Japan), where he has been since 2023. He received B.S. in Food and Nutritional Science from University of Shizuoka, Japan (1993) and his Ph.D. in Materials Science from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) (1997). He spent 8 years as a Research Assistant Professor at JAIST, then moved to Toyama Prefectural University (Japan) as Associate Professor in 2006. Two-years later, he moved to Graduate School of Engineering at Kobe University and worked there for 15 years. In 2023, he moved to the precent posisition. From 2001 to 2002, he worked at Purdue University (USA) as a Visiting Research Scholar. Selected honors include The Award for Young Investigator of Japanese Society for Biomaterials (2008). He is the author or co-author of over 160 peer-reviewed journal papers, 24 book chapters, and 29 patents with h-index 52. His research interests are: biomaterials; design of biofunctional materials for cancer therapy; food-based materials for biomedical applications; polysaccharide-based hydrogels for medicine; dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers as biocompatible materials. Now, he has started the rational design of biomedical devices based on "Design Thinking" with medical doctors of Kobe University.

Tooru Ooya
(Kobe University, Japan)

Tooru Ooya is Professor of Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Medical Device Engineering and Center for Advanced Medical Engineering Research & Development (CAMED) at Kobe University (Japan), where he has been since 2023. He received B.S. in Food and Nutritional Science from University of Shizuoka, Japan (1993) and his Ph.D. in Materials Science from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) (1997). He spent 8 years as a Research Assistant Professor at JAIST, then moved to Toyama Prefectural University (Japan) as Associate Professor in 2006. Two-years later, he moved to Graduate School of Engineering at Kobe University and worked there for 15 years. In 2023, he moved to the precent posisition. From 2001 to 2002, he worked at Purdue University (USA) as a Visiting Research Scholar. Selected honors include The Award for Young Investigator of Japanese Society for Biomaterials (2008). He is the author or co-author of over 160 peer-reviewed journal papers, 24 book chapters, and 29 patents with h-index 52. His research interests are: biomaterials; design of biofunctional materials for cancer therapy; food-based materials for biomedical applications; polysaccharide-based hydrogels for medicine; dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers as biocompatible materials. Now, he has started the rational design of biomedical devices based on "Design Thinking" with medical doctors of Kobe University.

Ping Wu
(Wenzhou Medical University, China)

Ping Wu is an associate professor at Wenzhou Medical University. He has made significant contributions in the field of biomedical engineering, particularly in the areas of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Ping Wu completed his bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Hubei Polytechnic University in 2011. He further pursued his academic journey and obtained a master's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Central China Normal University in 2014. During this time, he gained a strong foundation in the field of life sciences. In 2017, Ping Wu joined Wuhan University to pursue a Ph.D. in physiology and successfully obtained his Ph.D. degree in June 2020. Following his Ph.D., Ping Wu joined Huazhong University of Science and Technology as a postdoctoral researcher in 2020. Currently, Ping Wu is an associate professor at Wenzhou Medical University. His research interests include tissue engineering, biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and the development of innovative strategies for nerve tissue repair. He has published multiple research papers in reputed scientific journals, showcasing his expertise and dedication to making advancements in the field. Ping Wu's work demonstrates a remarkable interdisciplinary approach, combining principles of biology, materials science, and engineering to address challenges in biomedical applications. His contributions have the potential to significantly impact the development of innovative therapies and treatments for nerve-related disorders, and he continues to actively contribute to the scientific community through his research and academic pursuits.

Joseph Buhagiar
(University of Malta, Malta)

Joseph Buhagiar received his B.Eng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Malta in 2003. He joined the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the University of Malta as an Assistant Lecturer in 2004 and in 2008 he received a PhD degree in Plasma Surface Engineering and Characterisation of Biomedical Stainless Steels, at the University of Birmingham (UK). Prior to joining the University of Malta he worked as a design engineer with Methode Electronics Malta.

Following his PhD studies at the University of Birmingham, he became a University of Malta Lecturer in 2008. He was promoted to senior lecturer in 2013 and associate professor in 2016. In 2022 he was appointed Head of Department. He is on the Editorial board of the Journal of Surface Engineering and represents Malta on the Coal and Steel Committee.

Prof. Ing. Buhagiar’s current research interest is in the fields of biomaterials, biodegradation and surface engineering of biomedical materials. He was the project leader of the BioSA project (Biodegradable Iron for Orthopaedic Scaffold applications) and a collaborator in the MALTAHIP project (Development of a low-wearing novel hip joint prosthesis for longer lifespan). Both project have been financed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through Fusion: The R&I Technology Development Programme.

In 2013 he was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Colombia with jurisdiction over Malta. In 2018 he was conferred the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Colombia in the grade of Knight. The decoration was bestowed since Prof. Ing. Buhagiar's academic profile was fundamental for the permanent support that he gives to Colombian students in Malta and for the links that he has forged between universities in both countries.

ANKUR SOOD
(Yeungnam University, Korea, Republic of)

Ankur Sood is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at Yeungnam University (YU), South Korea. He received his Ph.D. in the field of drug delivery and imaging applications of nanoparticles from GGS Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India. He worked as a Research Associate at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Punjab, India. He then worked as a Senior Project Scientist at IIT, Mandi, India. His research is focused on 3D printing, microfluidics, organ-on-a-chip technology, tissue engineering, and inorganic/organic nanoparticles for drug delivery and biosensing applications.

Lorenzo Bonetti
(Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Italy)

I'm a Post-doctoral Researcher at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Pavia (Italy). My research activity is focused on the study of novel approaches in 3D/4D (bio)printing exploring stimuli-responsive polymers and hydrogels for advanced biomedical applications.

Lorenzo Bonetti
(University of Pavia, Italy)

I'm a Post-doctoral Researcher at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Pavia (Italy). My research activity is focused on the study of novel approaches in 3D/4D (bio)printing exploring stimuli-responsive polymers and hydrogels for advanced biomedical applications.

Gregor Miklosic
(AO Research Institute Davos, Switzerland)

Doctoral student @ AO Research Institute Davos & ETH Zurich
Developing biopolymer-based bioinks for cartilage and intervertebral disc regeneration and modeling.
Interested in applying high fidelity biofabrication approaches and clever materials design towards increased control of engineered tissue development and complexity.

Sulob Roy Chowdhury
(Indian Instutitute of Science, Bangalore, India)

Myself Sulob , currently a 4th year PhD scholar at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Before that I have completed M.Tech in school of materials science and technology, Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi, india and M.Sc in applied chemistry from University of Calcutta, India. Currently my research aim is to fabricate patient-specific tissue-engineered graft by 3D printing to reconstruct the urological tissue.

Aura - Cătălina Mocanu
(National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania)

Aura – Catalina Mocanu (30 years) is a Lecturer Dipl.Eng.PhD at the Materials Science and Engineering Faculty from National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania. She has graduated the postdoctoral stage within the university in 2023 and applied her expertise in various research projects related to materials and biomaterials science, engineering and technology (being manager of 1 national project and member in the research team of 3 national projects in the last 8 years). Her research activity, pursued in both private and public sectors, is also presented in over 20 papers indexed in Web of Science Clarivate Analytics (WOS cumulative impact factor is >30), h-index is 9 (WOS), 9 (Scopus), 10 (GoogleScholar), 3 book chapters, 1 patent. The activity at the intersection of the two sectors facilitated the development of skills in coordinating the activity in the material analysis laboratories and the activities required for the internal/external research projects implementation. She is a Guest Editor of 1 WOS indexed journals and reviewer of over 5 WOS quoted journals in Materials Science topics. She received more than 30 awards for her contribution in science (for published papers, presentations and patents).

Aura - Catalina Mocanu
(National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania)

Aura – Catalina Mocanu (30 years) is a Lecturer Dipl.Eng.PhD at the Materials Science and Engineering Faculty from National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania. She has graduated the postdoctoral stage within the university in 2023 and applied her expertise in various research projects related to materials and biomaterials science, engineering and technology (being manager of 1 national project and member in the research team of 3 national projects in the last 8 years). Her research activity, pursued in both private and public sectors, is also presented in over 20 papers indexed in Web of Science Clarivate Analytics (WOS cumulative impact factor is >30), h-index is 9 (WOS), 9 (Scopus), 10 (GoogleScholar), 3 book chapters, 1 patent. The activity at the intersection of the two sectors facilitated the development of skills in coordinating the activity in the material analysis laboratories and the activities required for the internal/external research projects implementation. She is a Guest Editor of 1 WOS indexed journals and reviewer of over 5 WOS quoted journals in Materials Science topics. She received more than 30 awards for her contribution in science (for published papers, presentations and patents).

Antrea Spanou
(Uppsala University, Sweden)

Andrea Spanou is an industrial PhD candidate in a collaboration project with Uppsala University and Graphmatech. She is a member of the BMS group lead by Prof. Cecilia Persson at the Biomedical Engineering division of Uppsala university. Her work focuses on polymer - graphene composites and their application in the biomedical field, with strong focus on additive manufacturing.

Moon Sung Kang
(Pusan National University, Korea, Republic of)

-. Ph.D Candidate in Dept. of Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University.
-. Majored in Biomedical Engineering (BME) for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
-. Especially interested in combination of 2D nanomaterials (graphene, MXene, BP) with natural/synthetic polymers through 3D bioprinting and electrospinning.

-. Research fields
(i) 3D bioprinting-based artificial tissues
(ii) surface functionalization of dental/orthopedic implants
(iii) nanoparticle-based bioimaging probes
(iv) composite nanofibrous matrices for biomedical applications
(v) in-vitro skin disease models.

Fang Yang
(Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands)

Dr. Fang Yang is a biomaterial scientist specializing in innovative approaches for tissue regeneration and drug delivery. She works now as an assistant professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Currently, her research focuses on nanocarriers for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration and disease treatment.

Fang Yang
(Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands)

Dr. Fang Yang is a biomaterial scientist specializing in innovative approaches for tissue regeneration and drug delivery. She works now as an assistant professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Currently, her research focuses on nanocarriers for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration and disease treatment.

Georgios Tseropoulos
(University of Colorado Boulder, USA)

PhD from UB
Postdoc @ CU Boulder - Anseth Lab
Biomaterials for EV delivery - Osteogenesis, Inflammation, Heart Valve Stenosis

Ekta Srivastava
(Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, India)

I am a final year PhD scholar working under the supervision of Prof. Ashok Kumar at IIT Kanpur. My research interest includes the exploration of electrical stimulation for nerve bone interface. I work on electrically conductive materials like reduced graphene oxide and its application in engineering different tissues.
Google scholar link: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=q034_78AAAAJ&hl=en

Anirban Sen Gupta
(Case Western Reserve University, USA)

Dr. Anirban Sen Gupta is the Wallace R. Persons Endowed Professor of Engineering, with Full Professor tenure in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He received bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry (B.Sc. HONORS) and Chemical Engineering (B. Tech.) from the University of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India during 1992-1998. He traveled to the US in 1998, and received his MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering with polymeric biomaterials focus, under the guidance of Dr. Stephanie Lopina, from the University of Akron, Ohio, USA, during 1998-2003. He also gained valuable industrial experience at Guilford Pharmaceuticals (Baltimore, Maryland) and Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, Ohio) in translational biomaterials applications. He then underwent post-doctoral training at CWRU with Dr. Roger Marchant in the area of hemocompatible coatings, during 2003-2006. Dr. Sen Gupta started his academic career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CWRU in 2006 and was promoted to Full Professor with tenure in 2017. Research in the Sen Gupta laboratory spans the areas of thromboresistant coatings for device hemocompatibility, bioartificial blood surrogates for transfusion medicine applications, targeted nanomedicine systems for vascular drug delivery, and surface-engineered dielectric microsensors for rapid assessment of coagulopathies. These diverse research areas involve strong collaborations within the US, as well as internationally, and is supported by funding from NSF, NIH, DoD, DARPA, State of Ohio, and Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership. Dr. Sen Gupta has also co-founded a biotechnology startup company, Haima Therapeutics, with a vision for translation and commercialization of technologies developed in his laboratory. Dr. Sen Gupta serves in leadership and organizational roles in several academic societies, and serves in the editorial team in peer-reviewed journals including Biomaterials (Elsevier), Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Elsevier) and ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering (ACS). He is an elected Fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and Fellow Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Dr. Sen Gupta is deeply committed to providing inclusive and equitable mentorship to all researchers in his laboratory.

Anirban Sen Gupta
(Case Western Reserve University, USA)

Dr. Anirban Sen Gupta is the Wallace R. Persons Endowed Professor of Engineering, with Full Professor tenure in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He received bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry (B.Sc. HONORS) and Chemical Engineering (B. Tech.) from the University of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India during 1992-1998. He traveled to the US in 1998, and received his MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering with polymeric biomaterials focus, under the guidance of Dr. Stephanie Lopina, from the University of Akron, Ohio, USA, during 1998-2003. He also gained valuable industrial experience at Guilford Pharmaceuticals (Baltimore, Maryland) and Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, Ohio) in translational biomaterials applications. He then underwent post-doctoral training at CWRU with Dr. Roger Marchant in the area of hemocompatible coatings, during 2003-2006. Dr. Sen Gupta started his academic career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CWRU in 2006 and was promoted to Full Professor with tenure in 2017. Research in the Sen Gupta laboratory spans the areas of thromboresistant coatings for device hemocompatibility, bioartificial blood surrogates for transfusion medicine applications, targeted nanomedicine systems for vascular drug delivery, and surface-engineered dielectric microsensors for rapid assessment of coagulopathies. These diverse research areas involve strong collaborations within the US, as well as internationally, and is supported by funding from NSF, NIH, DoD, DARPA, State of Ohio, and Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership. Dr. Sen Gupta has also co-founded a biotechnology startup company, Haima Therapeutics, with a vision for translation and commercialization of technologies developed in his laboratory. Dr. Sen Gupta serves in leadership and organizational roles in several academic societies, and serves in the editorial team in peer-reviewed journals including Biomaterials (Elsevier), Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Elsevier) and ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering (ACS). He is an elected Fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and Fellow Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Dr. Sen Gupta is deeply committed to providing inclusive and equitable mentorship to all researchers in his laboratory.