Testimonials

Madison Ainsworth, alumnus Master's programme Biofabrication

"Utrecht’s Master’s in Biofabrication offers excellent preparation for a career in the biofabrication area. A clear highlight is the two internships, which are a chance to experience working in a lab, getting a feel for what is involved in a career in research, exploring different areas of interest and developing all-important skills and knowledge in conducting experiments. I gained an international network and a well-rounded knowledge of research techniques and topics. The internships were very good preparation for a smooth transition into a PhD position: I gained experience in state-of-the-art institutes and learned how to independently navigate the academic work environment.

Biofabrication is a very exciting field with huge potential for the discovery and development of new knowledge. I was always intrigued by 3D printing technologies and, after my undergraduate degree, was looking to combine this area with my knowledge of the biomedical sciences. Utrecht’s Master’s in Biofabrication Master’s met all my criteria.

One of my internships was at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, which was a fantastic experience. The opportunities in this programme are quite unique and certainly not common for a lot of university programmes worldwide, especially at the Master’s level. Because of these experiences I was able to start to build an international network for my career.

My internships also gave me the opportunity to gain exposure to two quite diverse projects in different areas of biomedical-based science. This meant that I developed a wide variety of skills and techniques in the field of biofabrication.

The clinical potential of biofabrication is very promising for the future of innovative and personalised medicine. I am currently working as a PhD candidate at the Orthopaedics Department, University Medical Center, Utrecht (UMC Utrecht). My project involves looking into the convergence of biofabrication techniques for novel regenerative medicine strategies of tissues such as articular cartilage and the myocardium of the heart. My work involves wet-lab research, supervision of Master’s students, presenting my work at group meetings, and participating in project meetings with collaborators, both national and international."