Joana graduated in Microbiology at the Portuguese Catholic University (2005) and received her PhD in Biomedicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (2011). In 2012, she joined INEB where she was interested in understanding the role of extracellular matrix (at the cancer/regeneration interface). Currently she is an Assistant Researcher at i3S, focusing on exploring matrix modulation to improve current regenerative therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration. Joana has received several awards, including L'Oréal-UNESCO medal of honor for women in science, EIT Jumpstarter, the Amyris Innovation Big Impact Award and Women Tech EU program, as well as several national and international funding from EUROSPINE, FCT, ON Foundation and AO Spine.

Morena received her Bachelor degree in Biotechnology from Università della Calabria (Italy) and her Master degree in Medical Biotechnology from Università dell’Aquila (Italy). Recently, she concluded her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences at the University of Porto. Her research work focused on disclosing the impact of matrix donor age on intervertebral disc regeneration. Morena is particularly interested in developing natural-inspired biomaterials, to induce intervertebral disc regeneration and solve Low Back Pain. Her work resulted in the submission of a patent and in the publication of several papers in international peer-reviewed journals. She received different awards, including the Best Poster Presentation at EORS 2023 conference, an Education Scholarship from ON/EORS Foundation, the EIT Jumpstarter, and a travel grant from FEBS (2019). She has also been enrolled in innovation and acceleration programs.

Raquel graduated in Chemical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (Portugal) and got a PhD in Biotechnology from the same institution, in collaboration with the University of Nevada, Reno (USA). She has academic and industry expertise, this latter in a cord blood bank (BIOTECA), where she implemented the lab procedures and SOPs for stem cell isolation and cryopreservation. Currently, she is an Assistant Investigator at i3S and Affiliated Professor at the University of Porto. Raquel has been dedicated to the design of biomaterials for the intervertebral disc. In 2018, she received the prestigious Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers. Raquel’s work has been recognized by several institutions including the German Spine Society, the European Spine Society and the TERMIS.

Hugo graduated in Biology from the University of Coimbra and obtained his PhD in Biomedicine from the University of Porto. After, he turned into an entrepreneur. He is a co-inventor in 2 patents, holds an MBA and since 2007 launched 3 other startups, Infogene, Uromonitor and Beat Therapeutics. Through his support in management, the first two companies are now profitable businesses, employing over 10 people, and have undergone all stages of the innovation cycle, with CE marked products approved and manufacturing under ISO13485. On the basis of this experience Hugo was invited to act as a technology manager at i3S and in the last 5 years he managed 24 active patents, operated two-rounds of an innovation acceleration program (in which 16 projects were supported) and organized 3 editions of a health innovation award. Hugo has acted as interim manager, supported applications to acceleration programs, regulatory assessments in case of medical devices and assists operation of spin-offs development programs.

Isabel received her Bachelor's degree in Biology and her Master's degree in Human Biology and Evolution from the University of Coimbra. She obtained her PhD in Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells from the University of Minho, where her research focused on smart biomaterials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. She subsequently completed postdoctoral research at University of Porto and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), developing advanced biomaterials and functional coatings for biomedical and healthcare applications. Isabel has extensive experience in biomaterials design, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with a strong interest in translating innovative technologies into clinically relevant solutions.

Diana Rodrigues received her Master’s degree in Health Sciences and her PhD in Biomedicine and Health Sciences from the University of Minho, where her doctoral research focused on the role of the rostral ventromedial medulla in chronic inflammatory pain. At ICVS, she contributed to more than fifteen peer‑reviewed publications and received the Grünenthal Foundation Scholarship for Young Investigators in Pain. Her experience includes a visiting research period at UMC Utrecht, certification in regulated animal research and training in clinical trial conduct. Diana also led industry‑driven pharmacological studies at Bn’ML for marine‑derived analgesics and recently completed a Specialisation in Regulatory Affairs & Technical Direction, strengthening her focus on scientifically rigorous and regulatory‑compliant documentation.

Leonor received her Bachelor's degree in Biology and her Master's degree in Applications in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology, where her research focused on understanding the nucleation, assembly and dynamics of axonal actin rings. In 2024, she joined the Biofabrication Group at i3S as a research fellow and, in 2025, started as an intern at Fetalix. She was awarded an FCT PhD Fellowship in a non-academic environment to pursue a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology Applied to Health Sciences through a collaboration between Fetalix, i3S and Stemmatters. Her research focuses on developing regenerative biomaterials for intervertebral disc repair and their translation toward clinical applications.

Carolina Amaral is a Master’s student in Bioengineering at FEUP and ICBAS, specializing in Molecular Bioengineering. In 2024, she completed an industry‑focused internship at Stemmatters, a partner of Fetalix, where she gained hands‑on experience in biomaterials development and translational R&D. In 2025, she joined the Medizinische Universität Wien for a research internship centered on tumor heterogeneity and epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity. Her Master’s thesis builds on these experiences and aligns closely with Fetalix’s R&D activities.

Ana Carolina Monteiro received her Master's degree in Bioengineering from the University of Porto (FEUP/ICBAS), where her research focused on spinal cord injury. She later joined the Neuro & Skeletal Circuits group as a research fellow, developing advanced microfluidic models to study interactions between bone cells, blood vessels and sensory neurons under inflammatory conditions. She is currently finishing her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology Applied to Health Sciences at the University of Porto, where she uses microphysiological systems to investigate the nerve-cancer crosstalk in the bone microenvironment. At Fetalix, she serves as the Project Manager, coordinating the company's scientific, operational and innovation activities.

Mário Barbosa is Emeritus Full Professor at ICBAS - University of Porto and Vice-President of the Strategic Council for One Health initiatives. He is a Senior Researcher at i3S and former leader of the Microenvironments for New Therapies group. His research focuses on modulating inflammation in tissue repair/regeneration through bioengineered immunomodulatory microenvironments. He has collaborated with institutions in China, USA, Brazil, and Europe. His work has earned several prestigious awards, including the George Winter Award and the Ciência Scientific Merit Award. He has published 298 papers (h-index 60, 12,000+ citations) and co-founded i3S.

Paulo Pereira is a renowned Neurosurgeon, University Professor, the former lead of the Spine Unit (since 2002) and currently the chairman of the Neurosurgery Department of ULS São João, University Hospital, in Porto, Portugal. He is particularly interested in clinical and translational research, especially related to minimally invasive spinal surgery and clinical outcomes. Dr. Pereira has made significant contributions to national and international research projects. Additionally, he is member of several scientific societies focused on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal diseases and currently chair of the Education Council of EuroSpine - the Spine Society of Europe, co-president of the World Spinal Column Society and vice-president of the Ibero-Latin American Spine Society (SILACO). He has published 68 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals with over 680 citations.

Irina has a degree in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Veterinary Sciences from ICBAS, university of Porto. She has been an Invited Assistant Professor of the Bioengineering Integrated Master degree,  jointly provided by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar. Irina also has a Postgraduation in clinical Laboratory Medicine of Companion Animals and extensive track record in laboratory studies with dogs. She has participated in several multidisciplinary research projects focused on the development of products in the area of regenerative medicine including the use of biomaterials.

Nuno Neves is an Orthopedist dedicated to spinal pathology and surgery. He coordinates the Orthopedics team at CUF Porto Hospital (Portugal). Additionally, he is a Professor at FMUP - Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (Portugal), and a researcher at CINTESIS - Center for Health Technology and Services Research (Portugal), and i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (Portugal). Nuno Neves has held several leadership positions in national and international scientific societies in the area of ​​the spine. His main research areas are the spine, both clinical or basic, chronic pain and biomaterials for bone regeneration. Additionally, he has published more than 60 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals with more than 700 citations.

Gianluca Vadalà is an Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon, Associate Professor, and translational researcher at Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome (Italy), where he leads the Regenerative Orthopaedics Laboratory. His clinical expertise includes spine surgery, joint reconstruction, and regenerative medicine, combining surgical practice with innovative research in musculoskeletal tissue engineering and orthobiologics. As principal investigator and co-investigator in several European-funded research projects, including ENCANTO, Ortho-Allo-Union, iPSpine, and RESPINE, he focuses on translating scientific discoveries into sustainable clinical solutions for musculoskeletal disorders. Gianluca Vadalà is actively involved in international academic and scientific networks, including AO Spine KF Degen, ISSLS, and EORS, contributing to advances in spine research, surgical innovation, and healthcare sustainability.