Elisa Pucci is a PhD student in bone oncology at the University of L’Aquila. She graduated in Biology from the Marche Polytechnic University and gained molecular biology experience in the UK at a biotechnology company. She previously held a research fellowship at the University of L’Aquila, where she focused on the study of pathogenic mechanisms and the development of experimental therapies for rare genetic skeletal disorders, such as Cole-Carpenter syndrome. Her current research focuses on osteosarcoma and bone metastasis from breast cancer, with a particular interest in the interactions between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment.
Imana Sokolović Tahtović is a second-year rheumatology resident at the University Clinical Center Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a strong interest in autoimmune diseases and the use of biological therapy in clinical practice. She enjoys combining clinical work with medical education, particularly teaching medical students and raising awareness about rheumatic diseases through digital platforms. Imana is passionate about improving patient outcomes and advancing rheumatology care in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Geert Carmeliet obtained her Certification in Paediatrics at the UZ Leuven and her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the KU Leuven, Belgium. She is Professor in Medicine, has been involved in training and teaching medical students and PhD students and has been Chairman of the Division of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven.
The lab (www.Mebodd.com) investigated the importance of vitamin D signalling and angiogenesis in bone development and disorders, but focusses now on how oxygen and nutrient supply might control skeletal cell fate and function. Our research aims to understand how cell metabolism regulates the fate and functioning of different skeletal cell types using in vivo van in vitro approaches. Besides investigating bone development we also want to understand how disturbed skeletal cell metabolism contributes to bone pathologies such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and bone metastasis and how targeting skeletal cell metabolism can improve tissue engineering approaches for large bone defects.