Mariana received her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering of Materials from the Autonomous University of Querétaro in Mexico, followed by a master’s degree in Biobased Materials from Maastricht University. During her time in Maastricht, Mariana joined the MERLN institute as part of her master’s thesis, where she explored the fabrication of hydrogel vascular structures. She is currently pursuing a joint PhD between Hasselt University and Maastricht University under the supervision of Dr. Louis Pitet, Dr. Matt Baker, and Dr. Lorenzo Moroni. 

Her project focuses on developing tough hydrogels for their broader application as structural materials. Current methods for producing tough hydrogels often involve laborious procedures, limiting their practical use in customized structures. Mariana’s research investigates strategies for creating hydrogels with a wide range of properties that can be efficiently processed via 3D printing into application-specific designs.