Vitória Curto
Visiting MSc in Biological Engineering Student Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa [email protected] Since an early age I felt passionate about science and technology and through my years of studying I had the opportunity to get in touch with matters such as cell and tissue engineering, bioengineering of stem cells and biomaterials technology. I have thus realised that I feel particularly fascinated about the research field of regenerative medicine and the promise and potential that it holds in offering therapies for a number of current relevant health problems. Thanks to this passion I now find myself in Ivan Wall’s group, where I am currently developing my master’s thesis project. Project: Sodium alginate hydrogels as potential vehicles for delivery of human olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) on spinal cord injuries.
The main objective of this project is to investigate the potential of sodium alginate hydrogels as a vehicle for the delivery of a newly derived cell line of human OECs, for spinal cord injuries regeneration applications. To meet this goal, first of all it is necessary to find a way to successfully encapsulate the cells into the hydrogels and check if they can be maintained in the hydrogels. Important parameters to assess will be cell attachment and cell viability. Ultimately, it should be possible to conclude if this presents a viable alternative for human OECs delivery and if it is an alternative worth of further investigation and testing
Previously:
BSc/MSc in Biological Engineering. Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Portugal. 2011 - onwards. Undergraduate Researcher, Gulbenkian Institute for Science, Host-Microorganism Interactions Group. July - September 2014. |