Mylène de Ruijter works at the University Medical Centre (UMC) in Utrecht on biofabrication of the osteochondral unit. She is an early career researcher and obtained her PhD (cum laude) in 2020, which was also awarded the Anna fonds Thesis prize within the orthopedic field.
During her PhD Mylene pioneered the MEW technology and its convergence with the printing of hydrogel materials. She was one of the main drivers behind the experiments that show that a combination of a reinforced hydrogel and a cell-free regenerative hydrogel could lead to a stable filling of osteochondral defects in vivo and further translates this to patient-specific implants. Mylene has authored multiple publications, was involved in a patent application, has presented at multiple international conferences, and was recently awarded national grant applications.
Additionally, she is actively involved in public engagement, teaching and supervision of students (with levels ranging from elementary school to PhD level).