Meet Sonny de Jong, one of the New Faces of Science
How can we help the body repair itself when it gets damaged? And what does a researcher’s life really look like? Meet Sonny de Jong, one of the new Faces of Science of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
As part of this national program, Sonny and other early-career researchers share their work and experiences through blogs, video’s and public events with a wider audience. By giving science a personal face, Faces of Science aims to bring research closer to society and inspire the next generation.
A kidney that can repair itself
At the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, Sonny studies how to create a new kidney that can repair itself. To do this, he combines living cells, advanced biomaterials, and different types of 3D printing technologies. His research aims to develop new ways to restore damaged kidney tissue and improve treatment options for people with kidney disease. Although this work is still at an early stage, it could one day offer new possibilities for patients with chronic kidney disease. Watch the video to learn more! (in Dutch).
Why he joined Faces of Science? “My main goal is to make the field of regenerative medicine visible to a wider audience,” says Sonny. “It is a complex area of research, but it offers so many exciting opportunities for the healthcare of the future.”
We are proud to see Sonny represent the next generation of scientists and look forward to following his journey as a Face of Science.
More info on the project
Sonny’s research is part of the DRIVE-RM consortium, a national collaboration that aims to accelerate regenerative medicine and bring innovative therapies closer to patients. His work happens within the research teams of Marianne Verhaar and Jos Malda.
About Regenerative Medicine Utrecht
Regenerative Medicine Utrecht(RMU) is a world-renowned collaboration of excellent knowledge institutes and start-ups, located at the Utrecht Science Park. We bring together researchers from UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University (UU) and the Hubrecht Institute. Our focus is on restoring health and vitality instead of symptom control. By repairing, replacing, or regenerating cells, tissues, and organs, we aim to cure patients.