Miguel Castilho holds a BSc and an MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico. He has combined his knowledge of these two areas to dedicate himself to tissue engineering in his research work in recent years. The Técnico alumnus was awarded the Robert Brown Early Career Investigator prize in June, at the World Congress of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society for ‘outstanding achievements in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research, during the early stages of his career, with clear evidence of a growing profile’.

The committee awarded the researcher, currently at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), for his “pioneering translational work spanning various tissues, along with his interdisciplinary backround in mechanical and biomedical engineering and strong (inter)national mobility”. “Examples of his pioneering work include technology to create vascularized cardiac tissue constructs and biomaterial structures for the personalized treatment of bone marrow diseases and muscle-wasting diseases”.

Miguel Castilho’s research aims to mimic tissues found in the human body – such as bones, cartilage, or tendons – so that instead of surgically replacing affected tissues, these tissues can regenerate from the biofabricated materials implanted there. This gradually replaces the implanted tissue with healthy tissue generated by the body.

In 2017, the Técnico alumnus was honoured with the Regenerative Medicine and Biofabrication International Award at the International Conference on Biofabrication.