Interviews

What is your role in the cmRNAbone team at AO Research Institute Davos? What are you currently working on within the scope of cmRNAbone?
I am a PhD student at the AO Research Institute Davos, where I work on developing a 3D-printable composite biomaterial-ink consisting of hyaluronic acid and calcium phosphate particles for bone regeneration.

Why do you think the cmRNAbone research is important?
Normally, bone injuries heal without complication. However, in large bone defects, the self-healing capacity is limited. In this case, the clinical gold standard treatment is autologous bone grafting. However, this treatment has severe disadvantages such as creating another injury to harvest the bone, the limited availability of bone that can be harvested, and potential infection of the harvesting site. Therefore, it is essential to develop new bone graft substitute solutions like in the cmRNAbone project.

What does it mean to you to be part of the cmRNAbone project?
The cmRNAbone project is a large European project with 11 partners, each with their own expertise for endeavouring success. It means a lot to me to be part of such an extensive consortium and to collaborate and learn from each partner.

Why do you think the cmRNAbone research is important?
Bone degenerating diseases such as osteoporosis have a true impact on our society. I reckon that trying to solve everyday problems to make people's lives less hard or even less painful is our duty as researchers. That is why I think that projects like cmRNAbone are so important.

What does it mean to you to be part of the cmRNAbone project?
It is a great honour to be part of such a big project that gathers many European countries. It is amazing how people from different backgrounds and countries can work together to solve a common problem setting apart their differences and being able to stick together.

What advice would you give to aspiring researchers?
The most important thing is to find enjoyment in what you do. Is not an easy path to take, as you will always fight against failure and frustration, but it is important to stay focused on your ultimate goal and do your best to achieve it. The satisfaction of knowing you’re helping people have better lives is incomparable. So, if you truly think that research is your calling, don’t ever give up.