Meet the team

Senior scientist at the EUGIN Group with extensive expertise in molecular biology, stem cell biology, and cell signal transduction. She earned her PhD in Chemical Sciences with a specialization in Biochemistry from the University of Barcelona, Spain in 2002. With a strong background in the application of advanced technologies, her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate human reproductive biology.

Translational Research Manager at the Eugin Group, where she specializes in regulatory genomics and implantation research. She earned her PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Birmingham, UK in 2014, and has extensive expertise in gene expression regulation, and developmental genetics.

Professor at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, and a leading scientist in reproductive biology. His research primarily focuses on early human placental development and maternal-fetal health, with a particular interest in cellular interactions and immune dynamics between the mother and fetus, including placenta-associated pregnancy pathologies. In addition to his research, he mentors PhD students and teaches histology to medical students, making significant contributions to both scientific advancements and medical education in reproductive health.

Full professor of bioethics at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Belgium. His research focuses on the ethical, legal, and social implications of innovative technologies, including genetic testing, biobanking, and public health genomics. He is the program director of the Master of Bioethics, a member of various bioethics committees, and has contributed extensively to policy discussions in human genetics and medical ethics.

R&D Science Leader in BiomimX. She holds a PhD in Bioengineering from Politecnico di Milano, where she specialized in the development of advanced platforms for modeling physiological and pathological cardiac features. In BiomimX she leads the activities of the R&D biological team, coordinating the development and qualification of Organs-on-chip models for different applications. These models are used for drug discovery, drug screening studies and regulatory applications for Pharma and Biotech companies.

Leads the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Ghent University Hospital, overseeing Belgium's second-largest fertility program. He serves as President of the Belgian Society of Reproductive Medicine (BSRM) and the Belgian College of Physicians in Reproductive Medicine. His research focuses on reproductive endocrinology and fertility preservation.

Full Professor of Developmental Biology at the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and a Guest Professor at the Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of Ghent, Belgium. She coordinates the Dutch consortium HipGametes and is a principal investigator in the international consortium reNEW. Her research focuses on human reproductive tract development, strategies for in vitro oocyte maturation in artificial follicles, and human in vitro gametogenesis.

Full Professor of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Milan, Italy. He earned his PhD in Biotechnology applied to Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences at the same institution. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Reproductive Physiology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, USA, before co-founding the Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory (ReDBioLab) at the University of Milan, which he has coordinated since 2005. His research focuses on mammalian folliculogenesis, oocyte differentiation, and the molecular factors that confer oocyte meiotic and embryonic developmental competence.

Full Professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. She is the co-founder of the spin-off Artikode Intelligence and the founder of the CVBLab research group, which specializes in developing AI algorithms for video, image, and signal analysis. Her research focuses on applications in medical diagnosis, behavior analysis, and the industrial sector.

Professor of Animal Reproduction at University College Dublin, Ireland. His research focuses on early embryo development, embryo-maternal communication, and understanding embryo mortality in cattle. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and has an h-index of 100. He is a past president of the International Embryo Technology Society and has served on the board of the Association of Embryo Transfer in Europe. He was awarded a DSc degree on Published Work in 2005 and was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2012.

Professor of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany, and Dean of Research at the Medical Faculty of the University of Hamburg. Her research focuses on how the maternal immune system influences embryo implantation, pregnancy maintenance, and fetal development. She investigates immune-endocrine interactions and maternal stress responses in reproductive health and disease. She has led numerous research projects, published extensively in the field, and collaborates internationally to advance reproductive immunology.

Developmental biologist and Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, Austria. His laboratory pioneered the development of stem cell-based models of mouse and human blastocysts, known as blastoids, which enable in vitro studies of implantation. He co-founded dawn-bio, a biotech company leveraging blastoids for advancements in human reproductive medicine. ​

Scientific Coordinator of IMPLANTEU and of the Eugin Group. She also serves as Head of Research and Development at Huntington Medicina Reprodutiva in Brazil. With a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of São Paulo and doctoral and postdoctoral training at UCSF - USA and the University of Cambridge - UK,  her research focuses on embryo–endometrium interactions, implantation biology, and AI-based tools for embryo selection. She also teaches in the Master’s Programme in Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona - Spain.

Project Manager of the IMPLANTEU Doctoral Network, and the European & Global Education Projects Lead at Eugin Group. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law, and a Master’s in Innovation Strategies and Entrepreneurship. Her expertise lies in overseeing academic initiatives, and designing and managing educational programs within the technological and scientific fields. In addition, Clara teaches Public Speaking at the Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies Master’s from Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain).

Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Researchin Basel. The research focus of her lab is to understand how the human placenta develops and how this process is influenced by the maternal uterine environment. During her studies in Biotechnology at the University of Bologna she investigated the role of endogenous cannabinoid signalling in pre-implantation embryos. During her PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Milano and European Institute of Oncology, she continued to explore the role of adaptor molecules in development and cancer using several stem cell models. She joined the Centre for Trophoblast Research at the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral, where she worked to establish tissue-derived organoid systems of human trophoblast (placenta) and endometrium (uterus). She was awarded the Intra-European Marie-Curie and Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellowships and L’Oreal Women in Science Award as well as  the ERC Starting Grant to start her own lab. Her team is now using trophoblast and endometrial culture systems combined with imaging, gene editing, single cell technologies and bioengineering approaches to address the key questions on the maternal-fetal interactions critical for a successful pregnancy.

John Aplin's research group investigates fundamental problems in embryo implantation and placental development. Maternal preparation for pregnancy and the role of the maternal environment as pregnancy begins are important, as are factors in both the embryo and the mother that predispose to failed implantation, miscarriage, preeclampsia, growth restriction and abruption. Trophoblast cell biology is central in their research. They are also interested in vascularisation of the placenta and the role of stem cells in this process. Dr. Aplin Programme CoDirector for the Master of Research in Reproduction and Pregnancy and teaches reproductive biology and physiology at undergraduate level both in Life Sciences and Medicine.