PhD student in the Drug R&D Doctoral Program at the University of Santiago de Compostela.
PhD student in Drug Research and Development at the University of Santiago de Compostela
PhD student in Additive manufacture of bioabsorbable scaffolds at IMDEA Materials Institute
President: Dr. María Puertas Bartolomé
Affiliation: BIOFORGE Lab, Universidad de Valladolid, Castilla y León
María Puertas Bartolomé is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at BIOFORGE Lab (University of Valladolid), specialized in dynamic biomaterials and advanced biofabrication for regenerative medicine. She obtained her PhD in Biomaterials at the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC, Madrid, 2020). Her doctoral thesis, focused on bioinspired biomaterials for wound healing, was recognized with the Julia Polak Award from the European Society for Biomaterials. Throughout her career, she has carried out research stays in the USA and Germany, including postdoctoral research at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM), where she worked on engineered living materials and contributed to two international patents. She has also worked in industry at Technical Proteins Nanobiotechnology (TPNBT), participating in a European translational project. Her research integrates synthetic biology, materials science, and advanced biofabrication technologies to develop dynamic biomaterials and smart bioinks for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. She has received the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for her MSCA project, ProINK4D, in recognition of her scientific trajectory. María is a founding member of the SEMIT and has served as Secretary since its foundation, actively contributing to the organization of its congresses.
Vicepresident: Dr. Pedro J. Díaz Payno
Affiliation: TEBM lab, Instituto IMDEA Materiales, Madrid
Dr. Pedro J. Díaz Payno is currently working at IMDEA Materials Institute (Madrid) as a Ramón y Cajal Fellow and as assistant professor at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria. Pedro leads the newly constituted Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Materials group (TEBM) at IMDEA Materials. Originally from Madrid, he got his BSc in Biotechnology from Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone (Ireland) and Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Spain) in 2012 and 2013, respectively. He then joined Kelly lab at Trinity College Dublin, where he was awarded an Irish Research Council PhD Fellowship to do his PhD, focused on “The development of biomimetic scaffolds for osteochondral tissue engineering” (2019). After his PhD, he moved to the Netherlands to work with Prof. Gerjo Van Osch (ErasmusMC) and Prof. Amir A Zadpoor (TUDelft) on the development of advanced 4D Bioprinting technology, part of the Medical Delta project REGMED4D. From 2020-2023, he was elected Secretary of TERMIS-EU SYIS. Then, in 2022, he moved back to Spain and worked as a Scientific Advisor in ROVI Pharmaceuticals. After that, Pedro joined IMDEA Materials Institute to work on the BIOMET4D project, developing biodegradable metals for tissue restoration, and the MSCA RECOIL3D project, focused on ECM scaffolds with metamaterial reinforcements. He is co-organizer of the Workshops on Additive Biofabrication in Spain (WABs). In addition, he is founding president of the Spanish society for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (SEMIT).
General Secretary: Dr. Ignasi Jorba
Affiliation: Universidad de Barcelona, Cataluña
Ignasi Jorba Masdéu is Assistant Professor at the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (UB), where he teaches in the Biomedical Engineering and Master’s degrees and coordinates the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) course. He obtained his PhD in Biomedicine from UB in 2019 and subsequently joined the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, The Netherlands) as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Carlijn Bouten (2020–2023), before returning to UB with a Beatriu de Pinós fellowship (2023–2025). Appointed Assistant Professor at UB in 2025, his research focuses on mechanobiology and tissue engineering, with particular interest in how mechanical cues regulate tissue organization, function, and regeneration. His work combines multiscale mechanical characterization, advanced in vitro models, and biomaterials design to address key challenges in regenerative medicine. He has established collaborations with institutions including TU/e, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, and Mayo Clinic, and has secured competitive national and international funding as principal investigator for projects at the interface of biomaterials and regenerative medicine. His work was recognized with the UB–Banco Santander Prize for the Social Impact of Research in 2025.
General Treasurer: Dr. Sergio Acosta Rodríguez
Affiliation: BIOFORGE Lab, Universidad de Valladolid, Castilla y León
Sergio Acosta is an Assistant Professor and researcher at the University of Valladolid, Spain. His research focuses on the design, fabrication, and characterization of advanced biomaterials for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. His main scientific interests include self-assembling and stimuli-responsive biomaterials based on engineered protein polymers, particularly intrinsically disordered protein polymers, and their use as advanced coatings, nanostructured systems, and three-dimensional scaffolds for biomedical applications. In parallel with his research activity, he is actively involved in university teaching in biomaterials, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and related biomedical engineering subjects. As a co-founder and current Treasurer of SEMIT, he has contributed to the development and consolidation of the society, supporting its administrative and financial organization and promoting its role as a meeting point for researchers working in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in Spain.
Board Member: Dr. Jesús Ordoño Fernández
Affiliation: Osteobionix PS, Las Palmas, Islas Canarias
Jesús Ordoño is a biotechnologist who obtained his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC, Barcelona) in 2020. During his doctoral research, he explored novel strategies for cardiac regeneration within the Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies group led by Prof. Engel. Since then, he has worked on neurodegenerative diseases at the biomedical startup Kintsugi Therapeutics (Barcelona) and on cardiovascular implants at IMDEA Materials Institute (Madrid). He has also served as adjunct professor at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Currently, he is part of Osteobionix PS, a startup based in Gran Canaria focused on the design and fabrication of custom-made bone and cartilage implants using additively manufactured titanium. In addition, he is founder and former vice-president of the Spanish Society of Regenerative Therapies and Tissue Engineering (SEMIT).
Board Member: Dr. Sandra Camarero Espinosa
Affiliation: Polymat, País Vasco
Dr Camarero-Espinosa is an Ikerbasque Associate Professor, Ramón y Cajal Fellow and Group Leader at POLYMAT where she established the BioSmarTE group in 2021. Her research revolves around the regeneration of complex tissues through the design of smart implantable scaffolds and the development of cellular models of disease. This passes through the design of stimuli responsive systems, the exploitation of techniques such as 3D/4D (bio)printing and the understanding of stem cell biological processes and their interactions with biomaterials. Sandra obtained her PhD degree in 2015 in Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering from the Adolphe Merkle Institute (Fribourg, Switzerland) and spent 2 years as postdoc at the AIBN Institute (Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland) in Australia (2015-2016) and another 3 years at MERLN institute at Maastricht University (The Netherlands, 2017-2020) where she focused her studies on the fabrication of 3D printed scaffolds for the regeneration of complex tissues. Since then, Dr. Camarero-Espinosa has been able to secure funding from international and national agencies, including individual fellowships (Swiss National Science Foundation, MSCA, LaCaixa Junior Leader, Ramón y Cajal) and as PI in individual and collaborative projects (CPP2021, H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018). Sandra has supervised 9 PhD students and 2 postdocs. She has been recognized with prizes for an Outstanding PhD thesis (Swiss Chemical Society), as a Future Faculty Scholar (American Chemical Society), and is an elected member of the Young Academy of Europe.
Board Member: Dr. Luis Díaz Gómez
Affiliation: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
I am a pharmacist and hold a PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Santiago de Compostela, where I received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award. My research focuses on biomaterials, biofabrication, and tissue engineering, with particular emphasis on the design, processing, and characterization of functional scaffolds for tissue regeneration, as well as advanced drug and gene delivery systems. I have pioneered the use of supercritical foaming technologies for incorporating growth factors, developed advanced 3D printing strategies with structural gradients, and contributed to the functionalization of implants with antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties. I have conducted predoctoral and postdoctoral research at leading international institutions, including two years as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Antonios G. Mikos at Rice University (USA). I maintain active collaborations with academic and industrial partners, promoting technology transfer and scalable solutions. I am currently an Associate Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela and Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University.
Board Member: Dr. Sergio Martín Saldana
Affiliation: ICTP-CSIC, Madrid
Dr. Martin Saldaña is a biologist that earned his PhD in 2016 at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Molecular Biosciences affiliated to Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majdahonda (Madrid, Spain). After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Research and Development Department of Gihon Laboratorios Químicos SRL, a pharmaceutical company in Argentina, in the Micro/Nanotechnology Division. He continued his post doctorate experience as a Marie Skolodwska Curie Individual Fellow hosted by Prof. Abhay Pandit at CURAM, National University of Ireland Galway, followed by a Postdoctoral Researcher position at Polymat (Donosti, Spain). He is currently working at Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnologia de Polimeros (ICTP, CSIC), hired by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN).
Board Member: Dr. Clara García Astrain
Affiliation: Polymat, País Vasco
Dr. Clara García-Astrain is an Ikerbasque Research Fellow at POLYMAT, where she leads the FunPolySens group. She obtained her PhD (2015) from the University of the Basque Country and was a visiting scholar at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). Following her PhD, she joined the Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment, and Health (ICPEES) at the University of Strasbourg (France, 2016-2017) and later BCMaterials (Spain) as a postdoctoral researcher (2017-2018). She later joined the Bionanoplasmonics lab at CICbiomaGUNE, first as a Juan de la Cierva Formación fellow and subsequently as a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación fellow. In 2024, she joined POLYMAT to establish her research line focused on functional materials for biosensing technologies, with an emphasis on integrating sensing capabilities into in vitro 3D cell models. Her work combines biomaterial synthesis and functionalization, sensor development and integration, biofabrication, and engineering of 3D cell models aimed at improving the understanding of complex biological processes. Her research career has been recognized by several distinctions including the Best PhD Thesis in Polymers award (2015) by the Specialized Group of Polymers of the RSEQ and the Leonardo Grant from BBVA foundation (2025).
Board Member: Dr. Manuel Gómez Florit
Affiliation: IDISBA-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Islas Baleares, Islas Baleares
Dr. gomez-florit earned his phd in cell therapy and tissue engineering (2015) from the university of the balearic islands, spain, receiving both the summa cum laude distinction and the European doctorate award. He completed postdoctoral research at the Department of Biomaterials, University of Oslo, Norway (2015–2016), and at the 3B’s Research Group, University of Minho, Portugal (2016–2022). He currently holds a tenure-track position at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands and serves as Associate Professor at the University of the Balearic Islands. Throughout his career, Dr. Gomez-Florit has focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. His research includes the development of bioactive biomaterials using platelet-derived biomolecules and regenerative strategies for musculoskeletal tissues, with particular emphasis on tendon regeneration. More recently, his work has focused on the application of extracellular vesicles derived from different cell types for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. Dr. Gomez-Florit has received several competitive grants from both European and national funding agencies, including an MSCA Individual Fellowship, a Junior Researcher grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, and a Miguel Servet contract from Spain’s Carlos III Health Research Institute. He has served as principal investigator and core team member in multiple national and international projects and has established strong collaborative networks within the research community.
Board Member: Dr. María Godoy Gallardo
Affiliation: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Cataluña
Dr. María Godoy Gallardo is a Ramón y Cajal Researcher at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), where she leads a research line focused on the development of “smart” antimicrobial biomaterials for enhanced implant performance. Following her doctoral studies at the UPC specializing in antibacterial coatings for dental implants (Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado, 2015), she secured a DFF MOBILEX COFUND fellowship to join the lab of Dr. Leticia Hosta-Rigau at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). There, she developed compartmentalized microreactors, a key contribution toward artificial organelles. In 2019, she returned to Spain with a Beatriu de Pinós COFUND fellowship to establish an independent research line at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), focusing on cell-functionalized supramolecular hydrogels for improved soft-tissue engineering and wound healing. As of May 2026, her scientific impact is reflected in 29 publications (h-index 21), 3 active patents, and over 2,000 citations. Her research excellence has also been recognized with a 2024 L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ award. Beyond her scientific endeavors, Dr. Godoy Gallardo is actively involved in academic education and mentorship. She holds AQU accreditations for both teaching and research, and has directed 17 undergraduate students and 4 PhD candidates (1 completed, 3 ongoing).
Board Member: Dr. Bárbara Blanco Fernández
Affiliation: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
Dr. Barbara Blanco-Fernandez is a Ramon y Cajal Researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC, Spain), and is a member of the Institute of Materials at USC (iMATUS). She obtained her PhD in Drug Research and Development at the same university in 2014. She then worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Department of Radiology at Michigan State University (USA, 2015–2017), focusing on nanocarriers for imaging and therapeutic applications. After this period, she gained industrial experience as a junior scientist at the pharmaceutical company Reig Jofre (Spain), developing nanocarrier-based delivery systems (2017–2018). In 2018 she was awarded a Marie Curie Cofund fellowship to continue her postdoctoral research at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia where she later held a CIBER-BBN postdoctoral position (2020–2022). Her main research involves the development of biomaterials that recapitulate the extracellular matrix for tissue engineering applications; bioengineering approaches for the development of more reliable in vitro cancer models; and nanocarriers for cell imaging and drug delivery.