Aurélie Carlier is associate professor at the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University. She received her PhD degree (2014) in Biomedical Engineering at the KU Leuven, Belgium. Her research interests encompass the computational modelling of biological processes, with a particular focus on bone tissue engineering and cell-biomaterial interactions, using a range of data-driven to mechanistic modelling approaches. Her research achievements have been awarded with a number of distinctions, including three doctoral thesis awards (ESMTB, 2015; ESB, 2015; KUL, 2016). She was also New Scientist Wetenschapstalent 2021 finalist and received a prestigious VENI career development grant (0.25 M€) from the Dutch Science Foundation. She is board member of the Dutch Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering as well as of the European Society of Biomechanics where she serves as chair of the student and education committee. Besides her research, Aurélie is co-founder and chair of FEM (Female Empowerment Maastricht University), a network to discuss and tackle gender issues.

 Leyla is a Research Fellow specializing in computational biophysics, with a focus on developing innovative models to advance our understanding of kidney function. In more detail, she will perform research in computational modeling methods applied to regenerative medicine and more specifically, to kidney toxin transport in microfluidic set-ups, organoid culture systems, and/or bioartificial kidney devices., at the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University. She received her Ph.D. degree (2016) in computational biophysics at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, where was analyzing the effect of anesthetic drugs on brain activity. In her recent position as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Auckland (2019-2023), Leyla spearheaded the development of a kidney model, that aims to integrate detailed insights from existing research while ensuring modularity and reproducibility. Leyla's research endeavors delve into the intricate mechanisms underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, leveraging integrative mathematical models to provide a comprehensive tool for investigation.

Matilde is from Italy and she studied Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. Her Master’s degree focused on Biomechanics and Biomaterials. The course of study was centered in deeply understanding of mechanics

of both hard and soft biological tissues, including fluid dynamics. The second year was mainly dedicated to computational modelling of biological processes. Matilde graduated with a thesis entitled "A patient-specific agent-based modeling framework of restenosis after balloon angioplasty in a superficial femoral artery - effects of mechanical damage and hemodynamics on cellular dynamics". In August 2023, she joined MERLN for her PhD work, within the framework of the Material Driven Regeneration (MDR) consortium. The aim of her project is to develop in silico multiscale models to simulate cell-ECM interactions and fibrotic tissue remodeling.

Iga, originally from Poland, completed her Bachelor's degree in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Fascinated by intricate biological systems, she decided to continue her educational journey with a Master's in Systems Biology. Iga is now starting her Ph.D., focusing on Computational Modeling of cAMP Signaling in the context of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, her research interest lies in uncovering the complexities of the brain on cell level and its connection to this challenging condition. Her PhD is a disciplinary project between MHeNs/ BIOMED (experimental work) and MERLN (computational work).

Yağmur is from Cyprus and she studied Biomedical Science at The University of Hull. She completed her master's degree in Data Science for Life Sciences at Hanze University of Applied Sciences. After completing her master's, she joined Trinity College Dublin/ ADAPT Centre, where she first worked on the HELICAL project and later contributed to the PARADISE project. Both projects focused on ANCA vasculitis. In April 2025, she joined MERLN for her PhD work and the focus of her work is Automated Knowledge Graphs for Kidney Physiology and Pathology.