The FCT-PhD student in Bioengineering – Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Tânia Baltazar, won the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Young Investigator Award (WFIRM). The award is designed to recognise outstanding achievements by members of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) who are in the early stages of a career in regenerative medicine. The award was presented at the TERMIS AM conference held in Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) and a $ 2,500 monetary prize was also awarded. The PhD student felt very surprised but also “very grateful and very happy”. “It is a privilege for me to be one of the winners and I hope to be up to this challenge”, she says.

“The WFIRM aims to foster the careers of young investigators to encourage them to find solutions to problems in regenerative medicine”, explains the Técnico student.

Tânia Baltazar developed her research in the area of Regenerative Medicine, namely in Tissue and Organ Engineering. Her thesis is focused on finding treatment for severe burns through a 3D implant that regenerates burned skin.

According to Tânia Baltazar, studying at Técnico was a wise choice once “it offers multidisciplinary PhD programmes, involving unique international collaborations”. In the future she expects “to keep developing innovative solutions that reach the patient population in need, hopefully in the next decade”, she says.