PhD student takes home conference prize

Lorena Hidalgo (second from right), a postgraduate student at Cardiff University School of Engineering, has won the Best Oral Presentation prize at the Third South West Regional Regenerative Medicine Meeting.

Lorena’s presentation, entitled ‘Microfluidic production of stem-cell microcapsules for regenerative healthcare’, competed against presentations from a number of top universities, including Bath, Bristol and Southampton.

“My PhD research in CITER [the Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair] is a multidisciplinary project between the School of Engineering and the School of Dentistry,” explained Lorena. “I am mainly focused on the production of alginate microcapsules for Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC) encapsulation. The encapsulated cells will be further transplanted into the neuronal damaged tissue to replace dead cells and recover the normal tissue function, lost after injury.

“I am delighted to receive this honour. Science is a difficult pathway so it is very gratifying to see that people value your work. It really keeps you motivated.”

‘Advances in Regenerative Medicine: the Road to Translation’, the Third South West Regional Regenerative Medicine Meeting, took place on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd September in the Hilton Cadbury House in Bristol. The event highlights the cutting edge research in regenerative medicine that is taking place across the South West, as well as providing opportunities for collaboration and networking.

The Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER) is an established interdisciplinary network, linking around 150 academic staff from 10 Schools across Cardiff University. CITER is internationally recognised for its expertise in basic, translational and clinical research in the field of tissue repair, regeneration and rehabilitation.