Novel Advanced Therapies and Regenerative Medicine

Research

My research group is working on the development of novel advanced therapies using regenerative medicine applications. Our aim is to revolutionise the treatment of a number of disorders in children and adults characterised by tissue or organ failure.

Advances in tissue engineering, bioreactor technology and surgical techniques means the development of autologous tissue engineered organs is now a possibility. Using an autologous cell engineering strategy, the patient’s own cells to generate replacement tissues and organs, we hope to produce implantable organs and tissues. This will provide a better life-long solution to the replacement of missing or damaged tissues, overcoming the shortage of transplantable organs. We are actively engaged in projects to engineer oesophagus, gut, lung, liver, skeletal muscle and bladder.

We are also interested in developing minimally invasive techniques for fetal surgery. Collaboratively with researchers and surgeons around UCL/UCLH and Leuven, we are working to improve the use of miniaturizing instruments for the delivery of therapeutic solutions to foetuses, while minimizing maternal complications.

My research group is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary and is formed of Stem cell biologists, Bio-medical engineers, Clinical and Surgical fellows, PhD students and Research support staff.

UCL Appointments

• Professor of Paediatric Surgery
  University College London, Developmental Biology & Cancer Dept

Degrees

• Doctor of Philosophy
  University of Padua, Italy, 2006

• Medical Registrar
  University of Padua, Italy, 2002

• Doctor of Medicine
  University of Padua, Italy, 1997

Fields of Research

• Biochemistry and Cell Biology
• Clinical sciences
• Biomedical Engineering
• Paediatrics
• Medical Physiology
• Reproductive Medicine

Group Members

Ms Giada Bennedetti
PhD Student
g.benedetti@ucl.ac.uk

Mr Lorenzo Cacciolli
PhD Student
lorenzo.caciolli@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Lorenzo Caciolli

Mr Giuseppe Cala
Research Fellow
g.cala@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Giuseppe Cala

Dr Giovanni Giobbe
Research Fellow
g.giobbe@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Giovanni Giobbe

Miss Lucy Holland
PhD Student
lucy.holland.23@ucl.ac.uk

Miss Sahira Khalaf
Lab Technician
s.khalaf@ucl.ac.uk

Dr Federica Michielin
Research Fellow
f.michielin@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Federica Michielin

Dr Marco Pellegrini
Research Fellow
marco.pellegrini@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Marco Pellegrini

Dr Tarek Saleh
Research Fellow
tarek.saleh@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Tarek Saleh

Mr Ziming Shao
Research Assistant
ziming.shao.17@ucl.ac.uk

Miss Kylin Sun Yunyan
PhD Student
kylin.sun.17@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Profiles page: Kylin Sun