Sabine van Rijt performed her PhD research in the lab of Prof. Peter Sadler, developing labile organometallic compounds for cancer therapy. Following a short postdoc in the same group, she obtained the Alexander von Humboldt fellowship to develop therapies based on multifunctional nanoparticles carrying small molecule therapeutics to treat lung cancer. Afterwards, she stepped away from scientific research for one year, working as a program manager at the NWO. Realizing research was her true passion; Sabine started her own research group at the MERLN institute of technology inspired regenerative medicine at Maastricht University in 2016. In her current position as associate professor, she aims to develop new types of responsive nanocomposite materials that can induce (bone) tissue regeneration, and nanoparticles that can be used in theranostic applications. She is active in several consortia where she seeks to (clinically) apply her nanomaterials to relevant biological systems. Specifically, within a ZonMW TOP grant (VISION, granted in 2017) together with clinical partners, she is investigating limbal stem cell distribution over cornea to elucidate stem cell mediated corneal regeneration. As co-applicant in two EU grants PREMSTEM and JOINTPROMISE (both granted in 2019) she uses nanoparticles to study stem cell distribution and mechanism of action in 3D cell cultures and in several in vivo models. As member of the NWO gravitation consortium “materials driven regeneration” (www.mdr.nl) she is interested to develop mechanically enforced, yet responsive nanobiomaterials. She recently obtained the prestigious ERC consolidator grant, in which she will focus on optimizing the chemical interaction of nanoparticles with polymers to develop reinforced responsive biomaterials for hard tissue regeneration and osteosarcoma treatment. Next to leading her research group, she also teaches and coordinates several courses in regenerative medicine in the Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Science of Maastricht University and was elected chair of the faculty PhD committee in 2021.
