Elena Garreta Bahima

Elena Garreta Bahima is a prominent researcher affiliated with the Pluripotency for Organ Regeneration group at the Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC). Her work focuses on advancing bioengineering approaches to generate kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells, with particular emphasis on kidney regeneration, disease modeling, and translational medicine. She leads interdisciplinary projects integrating stem cell biology, material science, and virology to address challenges in organoid maturation and disease mechanisms.

Her research interests include the development of bioengineered kidney organoids to study renal development and pathologies such as diabetic nephropathy, as well as the application of CRISPR technologies for genetic editing in organoid systems. She has pioneered studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms using kidney organoids, revealing insights into ACE2 regulation and viral susceptibility in diabetic conditions.

Key contributions include optimizing extracellular environments for organoid maturation, leveraging natural hydrogels for vascularization, and advancing mechanobiology approaches to study nephron morphogenesis. Her work bridges fundamental science and clinical applications, with a vision to translate organoid models into therapies for kidney diseases.

Collaborations extend to institutions like the University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, and international groups, emphasizing multi-organoid systems and bioengineering innovation. Her research has been featured in high-impact journals such as Cell Metabolism, Nature Materials, and Advanced Materials.