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Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine - Meet the Editors of the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine hosts a diverse and experienced Editorial Board. We've invited them to introduce themselves.

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Luigi Ambrosio

National Research Council (CNR), Italy

Clinical Editor: Dr. Antonio Merolli, MD FBSE

Einstein Healthcare / Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA, USA

Editor Merolli

Antonio Merolli is a Medical Doctor and an Orthopedic Surgeon. He was inducted Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) in 2012. He joined the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials at Rutgers University in 2016 and was Research Professor until the closure of the center in 2021. He has been a faculty member at the Catholic University in Rome and served for eight years in the Board of the European Society for Biomaterials. He is the Chair of the Biomaterial-Tissue Interaction Special Interest Group (BTI-SIG) of the Society for Biomaterials (SFB). His main fields of interest are bone and nerve regeneration. His main expertise is in translational in-vivo models. He made extensive use of high definition microscopy techniques, most recently spending one year at the Helium-ion Microscopy facility in the Department of Physics at Rutgers. Dr. Merolli has recently joined the Einstein/Jefferson Health system of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia PA, as Research Educator. He lives in Princeton NJ.

Email: aym294@jefferson.edu (this opens in a new tab)

Managing Editor: Dr. Olga Tsigkou

School of Materials; The University of Manchester, UK

Associate Editor: Prof. Sandra Van Vlierberghe

Department of Organic & Macromolecular Chemistry / Department of Applied Physics & Photonics, Ghent University / Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

Editor Van Vlierberghe

Sandra Van Vlierberghe holds a full-time professorship at Ghent University (Group Leader @ Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group) and is guest professor at Brussels Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). Her research focuses on developing photo-crosslinkable (bio)polymers and their processing capabilities using laser- and extrusion-based 3D printing techniques to serve biomedical applications including tissue engineering. She received her PhD in Sciences (Chemistry) in 2008 at Ghent University. She is EU-Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS-EU) council member, Belgian Society For Tissue Engineering (BSTE) secretary, Ghent Advanced Therapies and Tissue Engineering (GATE) board member and Belgian Polymer Group (BPG) treasurer. In addition, she is co-founder of the spin-off Xpect-INX which commercializes bioinks for additive manufacturing purposes.

Email: Sandra.VanVlierberghe@UGent.be (this opens in a new tab)
Website: https://pbmugent.eu/ (this opens in a new tab)

Advisory Board

Dr. Mário Barbosa

Instituto Nacional de Engenharia Biomédica, Porot, Portugal

Editor Barbosa

Mário Barbosa is an internationally acclaimed biomaterial scientist with a long-standing interest in the modulation of inflammation in regeneration. He is an outstanding scientist with a first-class track record in quality and originality in biomaterial development, continuous high-level funding for his research and publication in the top journals in the field. He has built strong collaborations with China, USA, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Former postdocs and students have leading positions in research institutes in China, USA, Brazil, Spain and Portugal. Among several awards is the George Winter Award of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), the ESB award for outstanding work of an established researcher (2001) and the Klaas de Groot Award, the ESB award for scientists that provide excellent mentorship and guidance to young researchers (2020). He has a been a Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering” (FBSE) since 2000.  Presently, he is the Secretary of the International Union of the Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE). He published more than 280 papers in refereed journals (>9000 citations; h index 52).

Email: mbarbosa@i3s.up.pt (this opens in a new tab)
Website: https://www.i3s.up.pt/research-group.php?x=32 (this opens in a new tab)

Professor Nicholas Dunne

Centre for Medical Engineering Research and Biodesign Europe, Dublin City University, Ireland

MTE Dunne

Nicholas Dunne is the Professor of Biomaterials Engineering and Executive Director of the Centre for Medical Engineering Research and Biodesign Europe at Dublin City University. His research programme lies at the interface of materials science, engineering and biology, and his group focuses in the development of stratified approaches for the design, manufacture and characterisation of drug-biomaterial combination medical devices for efficacious hard and soft tissue repair and regeneration. This work spans fundamental mechanisms at the host/material interface as well as translational research to target non-union bone defects, bone metastases and chronic wounds. This national and international funded research programme (over €30 million) has been developed via a strong, interdisciplinary network complimented by over-arching international research institutes and industry collaborations.

Email: nicholas.dunne@dcu.ie (this opens in a new tab)
Website: https://www.dcu.ie/researchsupport/research-profile?PERSON_ID=1637808 (this opens in a new tab)

Prof. Pamela Habibovic

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Editor Habibovic

Pamela Habibovic holds a PhD degree from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. She is currently Full Professor of Inorganic Biomaterials, Scientific Director of MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine at Maastricht University, the Netherlands and chair of MERLN’s Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering. Her research group focuses on the development of effective and affordable biomaterials-based strategies for the treatment of damaged and diseased organs and tissues, with emphasis on musculoskeletal regeneration. Moreover, they develops and use micro- and nanotechnology tools to advance the field of biomedical materials and regenerative medicine.

Email: p.habibovic@maastrichtuniversity.nl (this opens in a new tab)

Dr. Joachim Kohn

Laboratory for Biomaterials Research, Rutgers University, USA

Editor Kohn

Joachim Kohn, PhD, FBSE is a national leader in the field of biomaterials science. As founding director of the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials (NJCBM) for 22 years and as Head of the Laboratory for Biomaterials Research at Rutgers, Prof. Kohn has made seminal contributions to the design and commercialization of new biomaterials for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and drug delivery. He pioneered the use of combinatorial and computational methods for the optimization of polymer properties for use in medical implants (including a coronary stent and an antimicrobial device to prevent infections in pacemaker patients). These implants are being used by about one milion patients and are currently approved in 46 countries. As a translational scientist, Prof Kohn has 78 issued US Patents on novel biomaterials and seven companies have licensed his technologies. He is the scientific founder of three spin-off companies. Dr Kohn retired from Rutgers in 2020 and remains active in research, entrepreneurship and the biomaterials community. He was elected President of the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering for a 4-year term ending in 2024.  

Email: kohn@dls.rutgers.edu (this opens in a new tab)

Prof. Ivan Martin

Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Editor Martin

Prof. Dr. Ivan Martin studied Biomedical Engineering at the University of Genova where he obtained his PhD in 1996. Between 1996 and 1999 he was a postdoctoral associate at Harvard/MIT. He joined the Department of Biomedicine (DBM) at the University Hospital of Basel in 1999 as leader of the Tissue Engineering Research Group, in close coordination with the surgical units. In 2007 he was appointed Professor for Tissue Engineering at the University of Basel and from 2015 he has served in the Steering Committee of the DBM. From 2004 to 2009 he was the first president of the European section of the Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), where he now coordinates the Strategic Alliance Committee. In 2018 he was elected as member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. In June 2021 he was made Head of the Department of Biomedicine.

He is currently Chair of the ‘Mesenchymal stromal cell committee’ of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) and member of the editorial boards of 6 international journals. His group includes scientists from the biological, engineering and clinical fields, dedicated to develop solid scientific basis for innovative translational strategies in regenerative surgery. In this field he is author of more than 280 peer-reviewed papers on international journals (H-index of 93), inventor on 10 patent applications and recipient of grants from the main funding bodies, including the European Research Council. The developed science and technology have been translated into different clinical trials for cell-based cartilage and bone repair, and into the founding of a spin-out company for the commercialization of bioreactors for 3D cell culture (Cellec Biotek AG).

Email: ivan.martin@unibas.ch (this opens in a new tab)
Website: https://biomedizin.unibas.ch/en/ (this opens in a new tab)

Prof. Anthony Metcalfe

Blond McIndoe Research Foundation, East Grinstead, UK

Editor Metcalfe

Tony Metcalfe has over 25 years of experience in academic, not-for-profit and small to medium Biotech sectors in a range of cross disciplinary therapeutic areas (wound healing, scarring, fibrosis, and breast, gastric and skin cancers), biological pathways, molecular targets and target organs. He has interdisciplinary experience in innovative discovery, translational medicine and has commercialisation expertise with a patient focussed outlook.

He has developed techniques for creating novel skin substitutes, delivery mechanisms for skin cells and stem cells, and has investigated bi-specific antibodies for cancer therapies (F-Star Therapeutics), now entering Phase I trials. He also helped raise £multi-million funds to develop technologies at the spin-out company, Renovo Ltd., which investigated scar reduction technologies from proof of concept lab based studies through to multiple Phase I & II clinical trials that culminated in a large European, multicentre Phase III clinical trial.

Tony is currently Industrial Professor of Wound Healing and Deputy Director of the Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research at the University of Birmingham. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and has published widely and is also a member of the editorial board of The Frontiers in Surgery: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Email: A.D.Metcalfe@bham.ac.uk (this opens in a new tab)
Website: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/chemical-engineering/metcalfe-anthony.aspx (this opens in a new tab)

Prof. Lorenzo Moroni

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Editor Moroni

Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Moroni studied Biomedical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy, and Nanoscale Sciences at Chalmers Technical University, Sweden. He received his Ph.D. cum laude in 2006 at University of Twente on 3D scaffolds for osteochondral regeneration, for which he was awarded the European doctorate award in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering from the European Society of Biomaterials (ESB). In 2007, he worked at Johns Hopkins University as a post-doctoral fellow in the Elisseeff lab, focusing on hydrogels and stem cells. In 2008, he was appointed the R&D director of the Musculoskeletal Tissue Bank of Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, where he investigated the use of stem cells from alternative sources for cell banking, and the development of novel bioactive scaffolds for skeletal regeneration. From 2009 till 2014, he joined again University of Twente, where he got tenured in the Tissue Regeneration department. 

Since 2014 he works at Maastricht University, where he is a founding member of the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine. In 2016, he became full professor in biofabrication for regenerative medicine. 

His research group interests aim at developing biofabrication technologies to generate libraries of 3D scaffolds able to control cell fate, with applications spanning from skeletal to vascular, neural, and organ regeneration. 

In 2014, he received the prestigious Jean Leray award for outstanding young principal investigators from the ESB and the ERC starting grant. In 2016, he also received the prestigious Young Scientist Award for outstanding principal investigators from TERMIS. In 2017, he was elected as faculty of the Young Academy of Europe and in the top 100 Italian scientists within 40 worldwide by the European Institute of Italian Culture. Since 2019, he is chair of the Complex Tissue Regeneration department and vice-director of MERLN. From his research efforts, 3 products have already reached the market. 

Email: l.moroni@maastrichtuniversity.nl (this opens in a new tab)
Website: http://www.moronilab.org/ (this opens in a new tab)

Dr. J. Miguel Oliveira

University of Minho, Portugal

Editor Oliveira

J. Miguel Oliveira BSc, Ph.D. is a Principal Investigator with Habilitation at the PT Government Associate Laboratory ICVS/3B’s (http://www.3bs.uminho.pt/users/migueloliveira (this opens in a new tab)). He is the Vice President of I3Bs - Institute 3B's (Univ. Minho) and Director of Pre-Clinical Research at the FIFA MEDICAL CENTER, Estádio do Dragão, Porto, PT since Feb. 2013. Currently, he is a Lecturer in Doctoral Program in Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells (TERM&SC) at UMinho, PT (since Dec. 2013). He was also an invited lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, U. Porto (2013-2019) and Dept. of Polymer Eng., UM, PT (2009-present). Over the years he has focused his work on the field of biomaterials for tissue engineering, nanomedicine, stem cells, and cell/drug delivery. More recently, he set up a new research line within the ICVS/3B’s on 3D in vitro models for cancer research. As a result of his proficiency, he has published so far more than 300 scientific contributions in scientific journals with the referee, being 4 of those review papers produced under invitation. Miguel Oliveira has approved more than 20 patents (filled & submitted), published 6 books (plus 2 in preparation), 5 special issues in scientific journals, and more than 90 book chapters in books with international circulation. He has participated in more than 500 communications in national/international conferences and has been invited/keynote speaker in more than 50 plenary sessions. He has an h-index of 49, i10 of 156 and received more than 9000 citations. He has been awarded several prizes including the prestigious “Investigador FCT 2012 and Investigador FCT 2015” attributed by FCT (Portugal), and Jean Leray Award 2015 from European Society for Biomaterials for Young Scientists for Outstanding Contributions within the field of Biomaterials. He is very active on the elaboration and scientific coordination of several PT and international funded projects. In addition, he is member of the National Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials from Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) (PORTUGAL).  He is the Editor-in-chief of the In vitro Models Journal (Springer Nature). He also integrates the advisory /editorial board of the Journal Bio-Design and Manufacturing, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, Materials (MDPI), International Journal of Tissue Engineering, Journal of Composites and Biodegradable Polymers, Journal ISRN Biomaterials, The Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics, Journal “Recent Patents on Corrosion Science”, and referee in more than 50 international journals. In 2020, he was listed among the TOP50 worldwide experts in tissue engineering by EXPERTSCAPE (https://expertscape.com/ex/tissue+engineering (this opens in a new tab)).

Email: miguel.oliveira@i3bs.uminho.pt (this opens in a new tab)
Website: http://www.3bs.uminho.pt/users/migueloliveira (this opens in a new tab)

Prof. Abhay Pandit

Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Eire

MTE Pandit

Professor Abhay Pandit is the Established Professor in Biomaterials and Scientific Director of CÚRAM, a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded Centre for Research in Medical Devices at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Prof Pandit has over thirty years of experience in the field of biomaterials. After a seven-year stint in the industry, he has worked in academia for the last 18 years. Prof. Pandit’s research has been funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the 7th EU Framework programme, Enterprise Ireland, Health Research Board, the AO Foundation, and industry sources above €150 million.

Prof. Pandit was elected to the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows to recognise his outstanding contributions in creating a national centre to develop innovative device-based solutions to treat global chronic diseases. He is the first Irish academic to earn this distinction. He was inducted as an International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering by the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE) and Fellow of the Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society. Prof Pandit is the first Irish academic to receive these honours. He was also inducted as a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering.

Prof Pandit is the author of 27 patents and has licensed three technologies to medical device companies. Prof Pandit has published >300 papers in peer-reviewed high impact journals, >700 conference abstracts, and has over 16K citations. Prof. Pandit has successfully supervised 36 PhD students, 24 postdoctoral researchers with a current cohort of 8 Postdoctoral researchers, 20 PhD students and three research associates.

Email: abhay.pandit@nuigalway.ie (this opens in a new tab)

Dr. Stefan Stübinger

University of Zurich, Switzerland

Editor Stuebinger

Dr. Stefan Stübinger is a dentist and oral surgeon, with habilitation (assistant professorship) in experimental implantology and oral surgery at the University of Zurich. Stefan holds various patents and is initiator and co-founder of numerous spin-off companies. In several multi-disciplinary and ongoing research projects he is involved in the development of a new standard to evaluate and monitor individual risk factors related to different diseases, based on the evaluation of body fluids. Stefan’s major aim and vision is to go off from delayed reactive medical services to evidence-based predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (3P) with comparing historical baseline data unique to each wearer.

Email: stefan.stubinger@gmail.com (this opens in a new tab) 

Prof. Nicholas P. Ziats

Case Western Reserve University, USA

Editor Ziats

Nicholas P. Ziats, Ph.D., is a Professor of Pathology, Biomedical Engineering and Anatomy, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  Dr. Ziats received his B.S. degree in Zoology and Microbiology from Ohio University and his Ph.D. in Pathology from Case Western Reserve University.   He has been a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University since 1991.  Dr. Ziats has published research articles in the areas of biomedical devices and biocompatibility including blood compatibility, cell and tissue engineering, drug delivery and biomaterials education, as well as articles in cardiovascular disease, cancer and medical education.   In the Society For Biomaterials, Dr. Ziats served as Program Chair for the 2011 meeting in Orlando, Florida, was elected as its Member-at-Large in 2012, elected as its President in 2014 and served as its Awards and Nomination Chair in 2017.  He is on the Editorial boards of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research-A (Associate Editor), Biomaterials, International Journal of Experimental Pathology, Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering and our journal, Materials in Medicine: Journal of Materials Science.  In 2017, Dr. Ziats was elected as a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and in 2020, as a Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering, International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE).  Dr. Ziats has served on numerous NIH study sections and has served on panels for the Veterans Administration Program as well as the American Institute for Biological Sciences and the American Federation for Aging.   He has won numerous teaching awards from Case Western Reserve University from the undergraduate, graduate and medical school and was selected as one of five Master Teachers in the School of Medicine in 2008.

Email: nicholas.ziats@case.edu (this opens in a new tab)
Website: Nicholas P. Ziats | Pathology | School of Medicine | Case Western Reserve University (this opens in a new tab)

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