The consortium launching the international PhD Program in Bioengineering – Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine includes institutions from 3 Associated Laboratories:

 

Instituto de Bioengenharia e Biociências (iBB)/ Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Medicina Molecular (IMM), and Laboratório Associado de Oeiras (LAO), comprising Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET) / Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB/UNL) and Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas (CEDOC) of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and one top US R&D center, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Ressenlaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

 

 

The institutions granting the academic degree are:

 

IST/UTL - Instituto Superior Técnico/Universidade de Lisboa

 

ITQB/UNL - Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa

 

 

In Portugal, the area of Stem Cell Manufacturing has been developed since 2001, within the research and educational activities of the consortium. The outcome of these activities have already contributed towards clinical implementation, e.g. treatment of Graft-versus-Host Disease at IPO-Lisboa by infusion of GMP-manufactured adult stem cells, several PhD theses, EU and national research projects, as well as spin-off companies. In order to further develop the Regenerative Medicine field and move into effective therapeutic solutions, a large and interdisciplinary R&D effort is required to apply these skills of Stem Cell Manufacturing towards First–in–Human hospital trials, creating a truly Translational Medicine activity. Central to this effort is the education of a new generation of highly trained professionals able to move the field forward by enabling research breakthroughs and technologies that can lead to new therapies.