Objectives
The objective of this IMPSS interest group is to engage with early career scientists within the microphysiological systems field to provide opportunities to learn, network, and present, in order to build a positive and supportive IMPSS early career community.
Short Term Goals:
- To establish needs of early career IMPSS members.
- To set up a social media community for the interest group.
- To host a series of career development workshops.
Long Term Goals:
- To create a platform to host MPS job openings.
- To create an online community forum to allow members to engage with each other.
- To establish an MPS mentoring program to support early career members.
Chairs
Ana Mora-Boza
Ana Mora-Boza is a Postdoctoral Fellow working at Georgia Tech in Atlanta (US). With a specialization in biotechnology and a strong focus on biomaterials research, Ana obtained her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering in 2020 from the Spanish National Research Council and the Carlos III University in Madrid (Spain). During her postdoctoral period, she participated in the HOPE project, funded by Wellcome Leap. The project aims to leverage the power of bioengineering to advance stem cells, organoids, and whole organ systems and connections that recapitulate human physiology in vitro and restore vital functions in vivo. In 2021, Ana was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Commission and is leading the project "SYNMAT FOR ORGANOIDS" focused on the high throughput generation of intestinal organoids using synthetic materials. Outside the lab, she loves gardening and painting animals using watercolors.
Chloe Whitehouse
Dr Chloe A. Whitehouse completed her BSc in Neuroscience & Pharmacology at the University of Nottingham in 2017. Chloe continued at the University of Nottingam for her doctoral studies, transferring to the department of medicine and health sciences. In her doctoral research, Chloe developed a novel “blood-brain barrier on a chip” model for pharmacokinetic testing in collaboration with Vertex pharmaceuticals. Following the completion of her PhD in 2021, Chloe started her position as a postdoctoral fellow at MSD. Within her postdoctoral position, Chloe has developed several novel 3D neural co-culture models, with a focus on using 3D bioprinting to increase throughput and homogeneity of central nervous system models for discovery neuroscience applications.