Dr Małgorzata Morenc is a postdoctoral fellow in the Bone & Tumour Bioengineering research group at the Max Planck Queensland Centre. Her current research explores the interplay between cell and extracellular matrix with particular attention to the osteocyte lacunocanalicular network dynamics using biomimetic bone tissue engineering.
She obtained a PhD in Biotechnology in 2019 from Silesian University in Katowice, Poland. Her doctoral research focused on developing decellularised heart valve scaffolds and surface modification techniques to enhance tissue regeneration and cell integration for cardiovascular bioprostheses. Her work aimed to augment biomechanical resilience, cell repopulation, and biocompatibility, extending prosthetic performance. Concurrently, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Foundation of Cardiac Surgery Development in Zabrze, Poland, contributing to multiple projects targeting the functional improvement of biological heart valve prosthetics. Her work focused on identifying and testing potential materials for prosthesis manufacture, including synthetic polymers such as electrospun matrices or bio-nanocellulose. She also worked on enhancing the biocompatibility of xenogeneic extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds through polyelectrolyte multilayer surface modifications that facilitated a steady release of growth factors, promoting cell adhesion and tissue reendothelialisation.
From 2019 to 2023, Dr Morenc conducted postdoctoral research at ASTAR Skin Research Labs (ASRL) in Singapore. She was involved in projects with industry partners such as P&G, focusing on skin ageing, stemness, and epidermal differentiation. Her studies investigated the mechanistic pathways of compounds with the potential to mitigate the negative effects of environmental factors, ultimately aiming to slow down skin ageing and senescence. These compounds were used in commercial products, bridging the gap between industry and fundamental science. Additionally, Dr Morenc was awarded the ASTAR Career Development Fund to develop a 3D full-thickness skin model. This initiative aimed to establish a model capable of accurately replicating various key aspects of skin ageing, laying a foundation for a refined platform dedicated to testing anti-ageing compounds, and advancing research on intrinsic and extrinsic ageing processes.
Key words
Tissue engineering, cell-ECM interactions, mechanosensing, lacunocanalicular network, scaffold modification