Martin Hoogduijn, Netherlands

Martin Hoogduijn is a medical biologist and did his PhD on skin pigmentation at the University of Bradford, UK, before working as a postdoc on mesenchymal stem cells and bone regeneration at the University of York, UK. Since 2006, he is employed at the Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His research focuses on kidney regeneration. Research projects include studies to the biology of mesenchymal stem cells and use of these cells for immune regulatory and regenerative therapy for kidney (transplant) patients. An increasing part of his team is studying the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into kidney organoids. These kidney organoids are used as a kidney disease model, for drug testing and for replacement of specific kidney functions, in particular the hormonal function of the kidney. More translational work involves studies to the physiology of transplant kidneys on machine perfusion. All these studies are carried out in collaboration with researchers from various departments of the Erasmus Medical Center and with international collaborators.