Daniela Salvatori is Professor Comparative Anatomy and Physiology since August 2019. She is also head of Anatomy and Physiology and chairperson of the Utrecht Transition to Animal-free Innovation initiative.
Education
Prof. Salvatori leads the Centre of excellence of Plastination and Virtual Reality. The centre develops models for training in clinical skills and in a wide range of procedures in humans and animals. The centre is a joint initiative of the faculty of Veterinary Medicine and UMC Utrecht.
They develop digital three-dimensional (3D) and holographic models for learning anatomy and offer many possibilities for practicing clinical and surgical procedures. Using virtual reality technology they are able to transform plastinated samples and CT/MRI scans into functional models, so-called ‘avatars’. In 2020, the centre received a USO Grant to create and introduce interactive holographic models of humans and animals ('The avatar Zoo'). The project focuses not only on development of avatar models but also on how effective the developed tools are in order to reach assigned learning goals. In the period September 2020-2023, she worked as Director of the Education for Professionals programme of Veterinary Faculty.
AvatarZOO
Learn more about our vision on advanced and innovative education minimizing the use of experimental animals and maximizing animal welfare, on our research into the efficacy of learning with AvatarZOO, and on the development of AvatarZOO.
https://avatarzoo.sites.uu.nl/
Research
Malignancy and Safety of human and animals stem cells
Stem cells are valuable tools for modeling human and animal diseases, as well as a source of differentiated cells for use in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. An essential prerequisite for using stem cells in medicine is the assurance of genetic stability. The presence of genetic changes, together with their increased growth rates raise concerns related to potential malignancy (cancer) and safety of stem cells for clinical application. The group studies mechanisms of tumorigenesis of human and animal stem cells, and works on the characterization and validation of in vitro models for studying human and animal diseases.
Transition to animal-free innovations Utrecht (TPI Utrecht)
Salvatori is chairperson of the TPI Utrecht from November 2019.
The Centre for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation
The translation of biomedical knowledge to patients and users results in new medicines, medical technologies, and food products. This benefits our health, our environment, and economy. Animal testing is currently an important link in the biomedical development process, but it is increasingly under pressure. Often, animal tests are not a good model for human application; they are time-consuming, expensive, and cause animal suffering. To continue improving the health of humans and animals, a radically different approach is needed: making the step to humans and animals faster and more effective, without relying on animal testing by default.
The new Centre for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation (CPBT, in Dutch: Centrum voor Proefdiervrije Biomedische Translatie) will shape this approach, creating new business opportunities around animal-free technologies and biomedical translation. This allows the Netherlands to distinguish itself globally and realize its ambition of becoming a leader in animal-free innovation.