A committee consisting of eight persons has evaluated the applications with regard to scientific excellence and 3Rs relevance, both equally important. Out of 26 applications, it was decided to grant five instead of originally planned three awards because of their similar scoring. EUSAAT was very happy to support following five excellent young scientists with a travel grant (500€ each) presenting her/his work in the field of the 3Rs orally or per poster at the Microphysiological Systems World Summit 2025.
o) Olivia Allen, Queen Mary University London, GB, “High throughput organ-chip models to study osteochondral ossification and osteoclastic bone resorption”
o) Pelin Saglam-Metiner, Ege University, Turkey, “Intensive care unit (ICU) patient-on-a-chip model: Biomimicry for emulating mast cells and cerebral organoids in neuroinflammation”
o) Kristin Schüler, Tecnico Lisboa, Portugal, „A novel bio-instructive scaffold for biomimetic collagen deposition aiming at cartilage engineering and in vitro disease modelling of osteoarthritis”
o) Jonathan Strauss, Medical University Vienna, Austria, “A LEGO®-based tendon/ligament-on-a-chip bioreactor for investigating mechanically-driven inflammation in desmopathy and tendinopathy”
o) Sofia Tomza, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, “Building a liver sinusoid-on-a-chip model for metastatic research: the initial steps”
Responses:
“Thanks to the generous support of the EUSAAT Travel Award, I had the invaluable opportunity to attend the MPS World Summit 2025 in Brussels — a global gathering co-organized by EUROoCS that brought together nearly 1,500 experts and innovators in the field of microphysiological systems (MPS).” – Kristin Schüler
“The week began with an inspiring 3-Minute Thesis competition for early-career researchers, hosted at the beautiful Jardin Hospice by the MPS Early Career Investigator network. It was energizing to connect with fellow young scientists and hear about the groundbreaking work shaping the future of MPS technologies.” – Kristin Schüler
“Personally, the summit proved to be an invaluable experience—both for establishing potential research collaborations with academic institutions worldwide and for exploring professional development and employment opportunities in the field.”– Pelin Saglam-Metiner
“I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to attend the MPS Summit in Brussels using your travel grant award. It was a great experience for me and I tried to make the most out of it!” – Sofia Tomza
“One of the summit’s major highlights was the broad range of MPS applications — spanning toxicology, pharmacology, regenerative medicine, and disease modelling — which truly demonstrated the translational power and future potential of these technologies.” – Kristin Schüler
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to you and EUSAAT for the opportunity to participate in this exceptional Summit and for the travel grant support that enabled my attendance.” – Pelin Saglam-Metiner
