- Are you inspired by the potential to use degradable synthetic implants that are transformed into living tissues by the body itself?
- Are you fascinated by our ability to use the immune system to our advantage to induce tissue regeneration in situ?
- Are you eager to contribute to better and sustainable healthcare?
- Are you passionate about inspiring and mentoring students and working in a high-end collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment?
- Are you our next PhD in Immunomodulation for Tissue Regeneration?
InformationThere is an increasing clinical demand for sophisticated medical implants and the scientific field of implant technology is exponentially growing. The main challenge is to harness the immune response to such an implant. In this research we use the immune response to our advantage, by using bioresorbable synthetic biomaterials that are gradually replaced by living tissue, directly at the functional site in the body, or
in situ. Our research on this technology has, for example, led to the world’s first clinical trials using regenerative heart valves for children with congenital cardiac malformations.
While tremendous progress has been made in terms of manufacturing technologies for biomaterials and implants, there is relatively little progress in terms of fundamentally understanding the inflammatory and regenerative process
in vivo. The various cellular interactions in
in situ tissue engineering, and how these are influenced by (1) the local niche (i.e. biomaterial and extracellular matrix environment) and (2) systemic factors (e.g. immunological state), are largely overlooked to date. Moreover, preclinical
in vivo studies have yielded unexplained variabilities in outcome. This raises the question to what extent patient-specific systemic aspects influence the local immunological and regenerative processes. The main aim of your research will be to delineate the combined influences of systemic immunity and local immunomodulation on the process of
in situ tissue regeneration at the local tissue site, in order to (i) enable the elucidation of patient-specific immunity on
in situ tissue regeneration, and (ii) enable the (precision) targeting of systemic immunity to steer the regenerative process at any time during implantation.
EmbeddingYou will be embedded in a highly inspiring research environment, both socially and professionally, which facilitates access to high-end research facilities, as well as fosters interdisciplinary collaborations. Your project is part of the DRIVE-RM research program (NWO Summit) and will run in close collaboration with partners from University Medical Center Utrecht. You will be an integral member of the ImmunoRegeneration team and the overarching Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology research group (headed by Prof. Carlijn Bouten) at our Department. Moreover, you will be affiliated to the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, our interdepartmental center for research excellence.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers top-level education and research in one of the most relevant and exciting scientific disciplines of the 21st century: engineering health. In combining engineering and life sciences, through challenge-based learning and a multidisciplinary approach in collaboration with hospitals, industry and others, the department addresses the great challenges of the future, striving to improve healthcare and society as a whole.