Alba Villagrasa Martín - committed to the world of innovative personalised medicine

The research to achieve that future is happening right now. According to Alba, now a Regenerative Medicine and Technology bachelor’s student, many people might already benefit from this progress without realising it.

A clear example is the use of bioresorbable bone scaffolds to support the regrowth of bone after fractures. These temporary structures help guide tissue regeneration and gradually degrade as the new bone forms, reducing the need for permanent implants or follow-up procedures.

The technology is evolving rapidly, and Alba predicts it will play a central role in the future of medicine. “Regenerative medicine uses technology to push the body’s natural limits to healing and moves towards personalised applications.”

In fact, many of the core principles of regenerative medicine, such as biocompatibility and functional integration, have already been part of medical devices for decades. “Think of contact lenses or catheters,” Alba explains. “These are engineered to ensure the body won’t reject them or trigger inflammation, even if they aren’t regenerative in nature.”

Regenerative medicine is based on three pillars: scaffolds: a supportive and dynamic 3D-structure that guides and encourages the body to heal or regrow tissue in the correct location and form. Cell technology: using the body’s own building blocks to repair or replace damaged tissues or organs. And bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, which provide the signals that stimulate and direct cellular activity. These pillars or elements are integrated in tissue engineering, a central strategy that aims to restore both structure and function to damaged tissue, and new technologies centred around these three pillars are being developed.

Alba wants to apply these principles to spinal cord injury repair. “I’ve heard stories of people involved in car accidents or sports injuries who became completely paralysed. Imagine having your whole life ahead of you and then being told you’ll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Beyond the psychological burden and the impact on families, the consequences are immense. I want to focus on how to restore spinal cord function.”

Alba is confident about her academic path. Other students in the programme are more inclined towards immunology or cartilage repair. “Because the programme is so broad, we can pursue our own interests. There are plenty of experts in the field whom we can contact for further insights.”

During her previous studies outside of Maastricht University, Alba had already experienced academic pressure. “When I came to Maastricht University, I actually felt a lot of freedom. Although the programme is demanding, the care that the university puts into its students lifted a heavy burden I had been carrying”, Alba shares. “I feel the support, guidance, and passion of the lecturers and coordinators made a real difference. They didn’t just teach; they inspired me to explore and grow. I still remember my first lecture; I was nervous and overwhelmed by the complexity of the topics. But the way it was introduced, with clarity and genuine enthusiasm for the field, made a lasting impression. It helped me see the bigger picture of what regenerative medicine could achieve, and made me feel truly excited to be part of it.”

Maastricht University embraces the principles of Open Science, which include recognising mistakes as a natural part of the research process. This approach has made Alba more confident in her academic and laboratory work, and encouraged her to explore extracurricular activities, such as the podcast Biomed Unleashed. “Our podcast connects regenerative medicine with people who do not have a background in the field. We are endorsed by MERLN and supervised by Prof. Lorenzo Moroni. Our aim is to break down complex topics of regenerative medicine into accessible conversations. We even had the chance to interview Robert Langer, professor at MIT and one of the founders of tissue engineering.”

To enter the Regenerative Medicine and Technology bachelor’s programme, students need a strong background in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. “You have to know the chemistry of a construct, how it will interact with the biology of the body, and the physics of the materials you work with. All fields are very intertwined.”