It should allow studying interactions between the various cell types within bone, but also the differences between cells from various (human) donors (healthy vs diseased, young vs aged).
The goal of her research is to develop a human cell-based, functional, 3D in vitro model of bone. It is well known that a varying environment (cellular, chemical, mechanical environment) can have substantial effects on bone cells. Moreover, ageing of the population imposes us with increasing numbers of persons suffering from skeletal issues. A special focus lies on visualization and understanding of how cells react to environmental and influential parameters (chemical, mechanical, other cells) in tissue-engineered in vitro models of bone tissue.īone diseases are multifaceted and can have a highly deleterious impact on life and society. Her current research focuses on bioengineering skeletal tissues, in particular bone.
Sandra Hofmann is an Associate Professor in Bioengineering Bone at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics research group.
