From October 16 to 18, 2024, the PREDICTOS Conference & Networking Event was held at the MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, gathering experts and researchers to advance knowledge in osteosarcoma research and regenerative medicine. The event featured insightful presentations, dynamic discussions, and networking opportunities, with a particular focus on the contributions from the MERLN Institute and ULiège.
Key speakers included from MERLN:
- Lorenzo Moroni, Scientific Director at the MERLN Institute, who shared the latest developments at the institute in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
- Ivo Beeren, Postdoc at the MERLN Institute, who presented innovative work on synthetic copolymer platforms for creating dynamic, biocompatible hydrogels in tissue engineering.
- Matilde Marradi, PhD Candidate at the MERLN Institute, who introduced her work on in silico modeling of the foreign body reaction and its significance for biomaterials used in medical devices.
- Silvia Bolognin, Researcher at the MERLN Institute, who discussed advancements in controlling cell fate and aging through biomaterials.
Additionally, Liesbet Geris, Professor of Biomechanics and Computational Tissue Engineering from ULiège, gave an inspiring keynote on integrating biology with technology in tissue engineering.
A highlight of the event was the participation of several members of the PREDICTOS project, who actively engaged in the workshops and networking sessions. Notably, Rafaela Seabra from CDRSP-PL (Portugal) took part as part of her staff exchange. She emphasized that “The participation in the activities was crucial for knowledge exchange and sharing innovative approaches for treatments and biomedical technologies. Additionally, interacting with researchers at various career stages, from early to senior researchers, provided valuable networking opportunities that will undoubtedly enrich future collaborations.”
The event also featured Meet the Expert sessions, with experts like Sadra Bakhshandeh from Nature Reviews Bioengineering and Monika Golda-Cepa from Cell Biomaterials AND Cristine Mayer Wiley engaging in discussions about academic publishing and funding strategies.
The final day of the event focused on workshops, including the Write Path workshop on writing successful grant proposals and publishing impactful research, led by Monika Golda-Cepa and Pan Xu from Maastricht University. The participants also enjoyed a guided tour of the MERLN Institute’s cutting-edge laboratories, offering a closer look at the technologies and methodologies in development.
The PREDICTOS Conference & Networking Event proved to be an essential platform for knowledge exchange, fostering new collaborations, and advancing the field of regenerative medicine and osteosarcoma research.
