Katarzyna (Kasia) Piróg (Senior Lecturer)– Kasia completed her PhD at the University of Manchester, generating and characterising transgenic models of chondrodysplasias. She then broadened that research scope to include investigation of other musculoskeletal tissues such as tendon, ligament and skeletal muscle, looking at the cell’s reaction to the production of mutant protein as well as the changes in the extracellular matrix and their biomechanical implications. She is specifically interested in cell-matrix interactions in musculoskeletal tissues in development, disease and during ageing. She is a member of the Editorial Board for Matrix Biology and Matrix Biology Plus journals (Elsevier), and is passionate about disseminating science and engaging with the public. She led a WP9 (Dissemination, training and commercialisation) package of the EU-FP7 SYBIL project, a Genomic Medicine PPI Working Group at the Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM) in Newcastle, and chaired the IGM Public Engagement committee (2013-2019). She is currently a public engagement WP lead in the MSCA CHANGE DN project and the Chair of the Bursary Committee and an ex-officio committee member of the British Society of Matrix Biology (BSMB) Organising Committee.
Anna Porter (Paediatric Orthopaedic Trainee, clinical PhD student) – Anna joined us in June 2023 on a project using molecular biology, tissue engineering and systems biology approaches to understand the rebound phenomenon and the mechanical responses experienced by the chondrocytes in growth plates of chondrodysplasia patients undergoing the hemiepiphysiodesis guided growth surgery, with an aim of refining the management and interventions in patients with rare skeletal diseases. Anna is co-supervised with Dr Kenneth Rankin from the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Roufaida Bouchenafa (MSCA Researcher, Doctoral Candidate (DC)) – Roufaida is passionate about academic research in biology and biomedical sciences, with interest in the interdisciplinary approach of biology, technology, and engineering, and nanotechnologies to target disease mechanisms. She joined us in 2023 as part of the EU Horizon Europe CHANGE MSCA network, to investigate the age-related complications in rare skeletal dysplasia. Roufaida is co-supervised by Prof Michael Briggs from the Biosciences Institute (NUBI) at Newcastle University.
Maria Lazari (PhD student) – Maria is a PhD student funded by the Food and Environmental Research Agency (FERA) to study aggregation of muscle tissue in vitro, and assess its bioreactor compatibility and the nutritional profile. Maria is co-supervised by Dr Pirog and Prof Jordi Diaz Manera, and will perform her experiments at Newcastle University, University College London (UCL) and FERA as part of her PhD.
Cagla Erdas (PhD student) is a PhD student in in Regenerative Biomaterials, whose research focuses on engineering cell-responsive hydrogels that support tissue repair, modulate cell behaviour, and adapt to dynamic biological environments. Cagla is a medical doctor and holds an MSc in Nanotechnology & Regenerative Medicine from the University College London (UCL). Cagla is co-supervised by Prof Francisco Figueiredo.