Prof. Dr.-Ing. Laura De Laporte
Laura De Laporte and her group develop biohybrid and bioinspired materials for advanced medical applications, for example to mimic the complex structure and architecture of natural tissues. To achieve this, they develop new material concepts and advanced fabrication methods, combining engineering, chemistry, and biology to create biomaterials that control interactions with living cells.
One focus is on injectable hydrogels that guide the direction in which cells grow and could eventually support the regeneration of damaged tissue, such as the spinal cord. The research group also develops three-dimensional tissue models, including models of the heart, kidney and liver. These models can help researchers study biological processes and diseases and test new therapeutic approaches. Further work explores materials for wound healing and the controlled delivery of drugs.
Curriculum Vitae
Laura De Laporte studied chemical engineering at Ghent University (Belgium). She received her PhD from Northwestern University (Evanston, USA) in the group of Prof. Lonnie Shea, where she developed guided implants for nerve regeneration. At EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland), she researched regenerative hydrogels in the group of Prof. Jeffrey Hubbell. From 2013 to 2018, Laura De Laporte led a junior research group at DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in Aachen and was awarded a Starting Grant from the European Research Council in 2015. In October 2017, she completed her habilitation at the Department of Chemistry of RWTH Aachen University. In 2018, she was one of five excellent female researchers who have received funding from the Leibniz Programme for female Professors and became an associate professor in the Chemistry Department with the teaching and research area Advanced Materials for Biomedicine. Since 2021, she is also part of the Institute for Applied Medical Engineering and affiliated to the University Hospital RWTH Aachen. In 2022, De Laporte received an ERC Consolidator Grant for the "Heartbeat" project. Since November 2024, Laura De Laporte has been a W3 Professor and Chair of Macromolecular Materials for Medicine at RWTH Aachen University.
Selected professional functions, honors and awards
- Belgian Polymer Award
- Since 2021 Board of International Society of Biofabrication (ISBF)
- 2020-2021 Associated Editor ACS Advanced Materials and Interfaces
- Since 2020 Editorial Advisory Board Advanced Healthcare Materials
- Since 2019 Fellow of the Max Planck School – Matter to Life and Executive Board Member (since 2024)
- 2019 Steinhofer Lecture
- 2018 Young Investigator Award - Engineering Conferences International
- 2016 Max Buchner Research Foundation
- 2008–2009 Terminal Year Richter Fellowship, Northwestern University
- 2008 AIChE Women's Initiatives Committee Travel Award, USA
- 2006-2008 Conference Travel Grant, Northwestern University (annual)
- 2006 CGM Travel Fellowship Award, USA
- 2004–2005 International Doctoral Fellowship, Northwestern University
Publications
| Titel/Autoren | DOI-LINK | Magazine | Jahre | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bioactive gyroid scaffolds formed by sacrificial templating of nanocellulose and nanochitin hydrogels as instructive platforms for biomimetic tissue engineering
|
https://www.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201405873 | Adv Mater | 2015 |
