Neurological Disease Modeling - Applications closed

Dr. Dirk Schubert is associate professor for Translational Neuroscience, senior lecturer and leading his research group for “Cellular Neurophysiology” in the Cognitive Neuroscience Department at the RadboudUMC in Nijmegen. His background is in Biology (PhD in Biology at the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany) with a particular expertise in electrophysiology and cellular neuroanatomy. His research group focuses on understanding neuronal network formation and maturation in health and neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, with a particular focus on the neuronal circuitries maintaining excitatory/inhibitory balance in rodent ex vivo models as well as human IPSC derived neuronal networks (“human neurological disorders in a dish”). 

M. Chiappalone graduated in Electronic Engineering (summa cum laude) in 1999 and obtained a PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from University of Genova (Italy) in 2003. In 2002 she has been visiting scholar at the Northwestern University in Chicago (USA). After a Post Doc at the University of Genova, in 2007 she joined the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) as a Post Doc. In 2013 she got a Researcher (Team Leader) position in the same Institution. In 2015 she has been Visiting Professor at Kansas University (USA), hosted by Prof. RJ. Nudo. From 2012 to 2015 she has been Coordinator of the FET Open European project BrainBow, judged excellent. In 2018, she joined the Rehab Technologies Lab of IIT. In 2021 she got a professorship position at the University of Genova, where she is now Associate Professor of Bioengineering. She has been named IEEE EMBS Distinguished Lecturer for the years 2021 and 2022. She has been Ad-Com member for IEEE-EMBS and vice-Chair for the IEEE Technical Committee in Neural and Rehabilitation Engineering in 2024. She is now Ex-Com member of IEEE with the position of Vice President Elect for the Technical Activities (VP-TA). She authored 104 publications in International Journals, > 80 peer-reviewed Conference papers and she gave > 100 scientific talks at International/National Conferences and Research Institutions. She is also Editor of 2 Books.

Angelo Accardo is an Associate Professor at TU Delft in the Precision and Microsystems Engineering department. He co-founded the Delft Young Academy and serves on committees for the Delft Bioengineering Institute and the International Micro and Nanoengineering Conference.

His research focuses on developing multi-scale 3D fabrication techniques—such as two-photon polymerization and stereolithography—to create engineered microenvironments for studying cell biology and disease models. His work targets applications in brain, cancer, and bone cell research, aiming to reduce animal testing by developing physiologically relevant in-vitro models.

Dr. Accardo has received multiple NWO grants for projects in brain cancer modeling, stem cell networks, and mechanobiology. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to 4 book chapters, and holds a patent on superhydrophobic surfaces. His research has appeared in high-impact journals like Nature Photonics and Advanced Materials. He is also a frequent invited speaker, reviewer, and grant assessor internationally.