Blogs

If it quacks like a duck… should we panic? Organoids and the potential for life

June 29, 2026

The idea of creating new forms of life has been both an exhilarating and terrifying idea in storytelling for ages. Think of the monster that Frankenstein created in Mary Shelleys book from 1818. Or, to consider a more recent example, the robotic androids that seem to gain sentience in the videogame Detroit: Become Human. While […]

Did you know… we can teach materials to move? Engineering Dynamic Hydrogels for Regeneration

Eline Geerits

June 4, 2026

Movement is fundamental to life. Every step we take, every stretch, and every shift in posture generates mechanical forces that cells constantly sense and respond to. In musculoskeletal tissues, these forces are not merely passive background signals - they actively regulate metabolism, extracellular matrix (ECM) production, and overall tissue homeostasis. My PhD project explores how […]

Did you know… that the mechanical durability of cartilage tissue depends on its structural organization?

Theresa Schmid

April 30, 2026

Articular cartilage (AC) plays a crucial role in enabling smooth and pain‑free body movement through efficient and frictionless load transfer in our joints. However, due to the lack of blood vessels and low initial cell numbers, cartilage tissue has almost no capacity to heal itself once damaged. Even small injuries can progress to larger defects […]

Did you know… that a conversation with your immune system might help the body heal itself?

Georgy Nikolayshvili

April 13, 2026

What if we could harness the body’s own immune system to repair damaged blood vessels? This idea lies at the heart of my research. Namely, helping the body rebuild its own vessels using smart materials and the power of the immune system. Every year millions of people worldwide are affected by cardiovascular diseases. For many […]

Did you know... that creating a 'cozy' environment could help injured hearts recover?

Alejandro Cardona Monzonis

March 10, 2026

Imagine jumping up and down 3 billion times in a row. Sounds impossible, right? And yet, that is exactly what our heart does during the course of a life! From our first heartbeat until we reach the end of our lifespan, our heart contracts and relaxes non-stop. Unfortunately, the heart has a major limitation. Unlike […]

Did you know... that we are entering the age of in vitro morphogenesis?

Dr. Stefan Giselbrecht

February 23, 2026

In the last two decades, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture has become a central laboratory method. Across laboratories and institutes, researchers use 3D cell culture to answer questions about how tissues form, function, and repair themselves. While many tissue engineering strategies have struggled to generate complex tissue models, a more effective approach builds on the natural […]

Did you know… that computational modelling is a powerful ally in regenerative medicine?

Dr. Ir. Aurélie Carlier and Dr. Ir. Sandra Loerakker

November 24, 2025

By simulating biological processes, computational models help researchers understand and predict how cells make decisions, how they work together in processes such as tissue development and adaptation, and how tissue organization affects function [1]. They can even estimate quantities that are difficult or impossible to measure experimentally, such as mechanical stresses within tissues, and thereby […]

Did you know… our scientists create impact beyond the bench?

Dr. Marina Cler

November 13, 2025

At Eindhoven University of Technology, my research uses 3D cardiac models to study how mechanical forces influence the organization of the extracellular matrix and cells. Through our interdisciplinary approach in mechanobiology, tissue engineering and biofabrication, I hope to uncover strategies to guide the restoration of healthy cardiac anisotropy, promote tissue repair, and prevent maladaptive remodeling. […]

Did you know … that researchers try to print a living kidney?

Sonny de Jong, MD

October 13, 2025

How can we print an organ? That is the central question guiding my research as a new PhD candidate for DRIVE-RM. In particular, my interest lies in the fabrication of a kidney, the organ responsible for filtering blood and producing urine. With its million tiny filters and tubes, this organ has an intricate structure that […]

Did you know... that our consortium is inspired by regenerative salamanders to unlock the secrets of regeneration?

Willemijn Bout

October 6, 2025

Regenerative medicine is about understanding how cells, tissues and organs are formed and using that knowledge to rebuild tissues and help patients that have lost them through injury or disease. To do that, we can be inspired by nature’s experts in regeneration. In the lakes of Mexico City lurks an animal that is naturally capable […]

Did you know... that changing the shape of DNA can unlock dormant regenerative capabilities?

Rahul Rao Padala

September 29, 2025

I am Rahul, a new doctoral student at the DRIVE-RM consortium. I’ve joined the group of Jeroen Bakkers, to study the role of the high mobility group A protein (HMGA1) in cardiac regeneration pathways. We’ve known for a while that certain organisms, such as the zebrafish we study, are capable of regenerating their injured hearts […]

If it quacks like a duck… should we panic? Organoids and the potential for life

Did you know… we can teach materials to move? Engineering Dynamic Hydrogels for Regeneration

Did you know… that the mechanical durability of cartilage tissue depends on its structural organization?

Did you know… that a conversation with your immune system might help the body heal itself?

Did you know... that creating a 'cozy' environment could help injured hearts recover?

Did you know... that we are entering the age of in vitro morphogenesis?

Did you know… that computational modelling is a powerful ally in regenerative medicine?

Did you know… our scientists create impact beyond the bench?

Did you know … that researchers try to print a living kidney?

Did you know... that our consortium is inspired by regenerative salamanders to unlock the secrets of regeneration?

Did you know... that changing the shape of DNA can unlock dormant regenerative capabilities?

DRIVE-RM and the need for an ethics co-driver

The Power of Team Science in Regenerative Medicine

Pushing the Scientific Boundaries

Why you should consider a career in Regenerative Medicine