Meet the Speakers

 

Karl Dittrich, Former President, Maastricht University
Karl Dittrich began his career as a political science researcher and lecturer in Leiden, Florence and Maastricht. He chaired the Executive Board of Maastricht University from the 1990s to the early 2000s, then became the founding chair of the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) from 2005 to 2012. From 2012 to 2017 he led the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), and he was then elected the first President of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). He will open RMMR 2026 and close the day with a toast.

 

Nermin Dizdarević, Coordinator, Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE)
Nermin Dizdarević studied European Studies in Maastricht and began his career at the Dutch embassies in Vienna and Bern. From 2010 to 2014 he led Charlemagne Grensregio, a cross-border cooperation structure in the Dutch, German and Belgian border region. He then spent a decade at the Province of Limburg as Interreg Programme Manager, coordinator of its EU and international affairs, and Acting Head of Economic Affairs. Since December 2023 he has coordinated the Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) programme, which co-funds the FIT project. 

 

 

Prof. Giulio Cossu, University of Manchester
Giulio Cossu is Constance Thornley Professor of Regenerative Medicine at the University of Manchester. He trained in medicine in Rome and was a Fogarty fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He later directed the Stem Cell Research Institute at San Raffaele in Milan before moving to Manchester in 2013. He is best known for discovering mesoangioblasts, vessel-associated stem cells, and for leading the first-in-human trial using donor stem cells to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He is an EMBO Member and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

 

 

Prof. Bert Smeets, Maastricht University
Bert Smeets is Professor in Clinical Genomics with a focus on mitochondrial diseases. He did his PhD on myotonic dystrophy in Nijmegen and has been at Maastricht University since 1995, where he became professor in 2010. His research spans identifying genetic defects through next-generation sequencing, developing new treatments including autologous stem cell therapy, and preventing the transmission of mitochondrial disease. He has published over 250 articles, reviews and book chapters. He leads FIT, the main organiser of RMMR 2026.

 

 

Prof. Horst Fischer, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
Horst Fischer heads Dental Materials and Biomaterials Research at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen. He studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen and worked for a US company before returning to medical technology research. He was appointed university professor in 2009. His group develops 3D bioprinting methods for tissue replacement and studies how cells behave in 3D-printed tissue models. In 2018 he was elected to the Leopoldina, Germany's National Academy of Sciences. 

 

 

Prof. Maurilio Sampaolesi, KU Leuven
Maurilio Sampaolesi is Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Head of the Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Unit at KU Leuven, where he has led the Translational Cardiomyology Laboratory since 2007. He was involved in identifying mesoangioblasts. His group has extensive experience using stem cells to treat skeletal muscle diseases, particularly Duchenne and limb girdle muscular dystrophies. His lab is part of the FIT-Interreg project.

 

 

Prof. Martijn van Griensven, MERLN Institute, Maastricht University
Martijn van Griensven is a full professor in MERLN's Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering department. He studied biomedical sciences at Leiden University, completed his PhD at Hannover Medical School and became the youngest professor in Germany. His research focuses on regenerating the musculoskeletal system, including tissue engineering, cell and molecular biology and the role of the immune system. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Medical Research. 

 

 

Assoc. Prof. Berta Cillero Pastor, MERLN Institute, Maastricht University
Berta Cillero Pastor studied molecular biology and biochemistry in Madrid and completed her PhD at INIBIC in La Coruña. She then developed new mass spectrometry imaging approaches for orthopaedics as a postdoc at AMOLF in Amsterdam. She joined Maastricht University in 2015 to set up the mass spectrometry imaging CORE lab at M4i, and is now an Associate Professor and group leader at MERLN. Her work applies spatial omics to understand cell-biomaterial interactions, drug delivery and cell differentiation, with a focus on cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease.

 

Asst. Prof. Niloofar Tahmasebi Birgani, MERLN Institute, Maastricht University
Niloofar Tahmasebi Birgani is an Assistant Professor in MERLN's Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering. Her research focuses on micron-sized designer biomaterials, bottom-up tissue engineering and miniaturised in vitro models. Her group develops smart biomaterials that guide the regeneration of bone and bone-soft tissue interfaces. In 2020 she received the Dutch Research Council's Incentive Grant for Women in STEM.