With a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Tufts University, Gabi is a dual-enrollment PhD candidate between RWTH University Hospital Aachen (DE) and Maastricht University (NL).

Her project focuses on addressing non-union fractures (bone breaks that fail to heal naturally) by developing new, safe, and effective therapeutic solutions for a condition that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life and generates high healthcare costs. Funded by the AO Foundation Clinical Priority Programme and led by Prof. Elizabeth Rosado Balmayor (Principal Investigator and Chair of Experimental Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at RWTH University Hospital Aachen, DE), her project combines BMP-2 chemically modified mRNA with a medical-grade, bioresorbable mgPCL-TCP scaffold to develop an innovative implantable material for bone regeneration. The goal of her project is to advance bone mRNA technology to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, paving the way for rapid translation into first-in-human clinical studies. Gabi’s project is a collaboration between RWTH Aachen, MERLN (with Prof. Martijn van Griensven as supervisor), ETHRIS GmbH (DE), and the Mayo Clinic (USA).