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Riccardo Levato is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University specializing in engineering materials science. His research focuses on understanding stem cell behaviors and developing lab-made 3D tissues for regenerative medicine and personalized disease models. His lab works on novel biofabrication technologies and cell-instructive biomaterials to create bioprinted, transplantable engineered grafts, particularly for the regeneration of the musculoskeletal system, mainly bone, marrow, and cartilage. He collaborates with international partners on the Utrecht campus to apply innovative technologies in engineering soft tissues. His work includes developing classes of cell-instructive hydrogels derived from natural materials like proteins and polysaccharides, as well as synthetic polymers. These engineered materials provide signals that guide cell behavior, mimicking natural interactions with native extracellular matrices. He integrates conventional extrusion printing with high-resolution, ultra-fast light-based bioprinting technologies to assemble cells into smart materials with organized 3D architectures that replicate the native composition of tissues. Levato is notably advancing ultra-fast volumetric bioprinting techniques capable of producing centimeter-sized biological structures in clinically relevant sizes. His multidisciplinary approach combines expertise in engineering, materials science, and stem cell biology to develop effective treatments for human and veterinary healthcare.
Department of Psychology