Ricardo M. P. da Silva

Tissue Engineering, biomaterials, self-assembly, hydrogels

Ricardo is interested in harnessing the dynamic nature of molecular self-assembly to create responsive and adaptable biomaterials, increasing the materials ability to cross-talk with cells. His research aims at engineering 3D culture systems that progressively mimic more closely biophysical and biochemical features of the stem cell niche. The ultimate goal of his research is to create materials able to induce stem cells to recapitulate tissue morphogenesis towards the regeneration of functional human tissues with therapeutic potential.

Ricardo joined the Division of Craniofacial Development & Stem Cell Biology in March 2016 after being awarded a King's Prize Fellowship.

He did his PhD in the 3B's Research Group (University of Minho, Portugal) developing stimuli-sensitive polymeric biomaterials for cell sheet engineering. He had a first post-doctoral experience in the same research group developing thermo-responsive nanoparticles with tuneable transition temperature.

Afterwards, he received a Marie Curie IOF fellowship to study dynamic processes underlying peptide self-assembly in the Stupp Lab (Northwestern University, Chicago) and in the Meijer Research Group (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands).