Mr M.L. Rietveld

Melanie received her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Amsterdam University College in 2020, during which she discovered a passion for biomedical sciences as well as ethics and philosophy. Following this, she completed two master's degrees: one in Biomedical Sciences (UvA) and one in Philosophy: Bioethics and Health (VU). After realizing she would rather delve into the societal questions relating to her research than actually do her lab work, she decided to major in Science in Society. Combining these two degrees allowed her to delve deeper into the ethics of biomedical innovations, in particular into stem cell research, with the aim to bridge the gap between scientists, ethicists, and the public. For both degrees, she wrote a thesis about in vitro gametogenesis, approaching the topic from different angles. 

She started her PhD at Maastricht University in January 2025. Her research focusses on the ethical implications of iPSC-based regenerative medicine. Through ethical and empirical analysis, she is aiming to develop a sustainable normative framework for a safe, just, and morally desirable translational use of (h)iPSCs in regenerative medicine.