Jaqueline Rios

Jaqueline Lourdes Rios is an Assistant Professor at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Orthopaedics. Her research focuses primarily on osteoarthritis, aiming to understand its onset and mechanisms, and to develop innovative treatment strategies. Dr. Rios is particularly interested in controlled drug release, patient stratification, and the shift toward animal-free experimental models. Her interdisciplinary work spans in vitro studies and in vivo models, in collaboration with academic and industry partners both nationally and internationally.
A key area of innovation in Dr. Rios’s work is the development of targeted therapeutic delivery systems using aptamers to enable precise and sustained treatment of osteoarthritic joints. By integrating biomaterials and molecular targeting, her team strives to advance personalized medicine approaches for musculoskeletal diseases.
In addition to osteoarthritis, Dr. Rios also investigates implant-associated infections. Her team is developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that utilize aptamer-based therapie, with or without antibiotics, to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.
Dr. Rios earned her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary, Canada, where she studied exercise and dietary interventions in metabolic knee osteoarthritis. She has received multiple honors for her scientific contributions, and has been awarded competitive funding from organizations such as Alberta Innovates Health Innovation (CA), the Dutch Research Council (NWO, NL) and the National Growth Fund (NL).
Alongside her research, she is deeply engaged in education and mentorship within the Graduate School of Life Sciences master’s and PhD programs at Utrecht University. Her work bridges fundamental science and clinical application, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with joint diseases.