The incredible work being done as part of the BIOMET4D project to create next-generation 4D biodegradable implants for tissue regeneration wouldn’t be possible without our team of amazing researchers.
Get to know our team through our interview series. In this edition, we talk to Dr. Pedro José Díaz Payno from IMDEA Materials Institute.
Question: Can you give a brief background of your academic and professional career to date, how did you come to be working at IMDEA Materials and on the BIOMET4D project?
Answer: Hello, my name is Pedro José Díaz Payno and I am a postdoctoral researcher at IMDEA Materials Institute working on the European Union Horizon Programme BIOMET4D project. I joined IMDEA Materials 2 months ago having previously worked at Laboratorios Farmacéuticos Rovi, Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, Technology University of Delft and Trinity College Dublin, where I got my PhD.”
Question: Can you give a brief summary of the project BIOMET4D, its main goals and objectives?
Answer: “The main aim of BIOMET4D is to create biodegradable implants, capable of shape change and load-bearing for dynamic tissue restoration. In particular, we are focusing on two specific applications relating to the treatment of craniosynostosis and skin expansion procedures.”
Question: Can you talk a little about the skills and expertise that you bring to BIOMET4D?
Answer: “My academic background is in Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine. Some of my previous research, for example, has focused on collagen derived scaffold fabrication and 4D bioprinting for musculoskeletal tissue engineering applications.”
Question: Can you explain your specific role within the project?
Answer: “Within the scope of the BIOMET4D project, my role is related to the biological characterization of the smart implants we will engineer. Through this research, I hope to be able to test cells of interest under different conditions to understand how the implants affect cell-mediated regeneration in the body.
Question: What do you hope will be the impact of this research on patients and for society as a whole?
Answer: “The end goal is to provide improved health outcomes in the treatment of craniosynostosis and skin expansion procedures. The BIOMET4D project has the potential to lead to significant future improvements in patient care and reductions in healthcare costs thanks to less invasive surgical procedures and fewer follow-up interventions in these treatments. Moreover, as a fundamental technology concept, the project also has high impact potential beyond medical applications.”
Question: What is the significance for you as a postdoctoral researcher of being able to work on this kind of international project with such important objectives?
Answer: “As a postdoctoral researcher, being able to work in this kind of multidisciplinary and international project has been a particularly satisfying experience for me because it has allowed me to work with both industry partners as well as clinicians on a real problem. By working alone we may go faster, but by working together we can go further.”
