Sandra Hofmann

Sandra Hofmann is an Associate Professor in Bioengineering Bone at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics research group within the Biomedical Engineering Department at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). She specializes in bioengineering skeletal tissues, particularly focusing on developing in vitro models to study bone cell interactions under environmental influences. Her work integrates bioreactors, computational modeling, and micro-CT imaging to create functional 3D bone models for studying bone diseases and aging-related skeletal issues.

• Academic Background: MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences (University of Basel, 2002), PhD in Silk Fibroin Biomaterials (ETH Zurich, 2007), Assistant Professor at TU/e (2013–2016), tenured Associate Professor since 2016.
• Affiliations: Core member of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) at TU/e, member of the Eindhoven Young Academy of Engineering, and board member of the Centre for Unusual Collaborations.

Research Interests: Her research centers on engineering bone-like tissues using human cells, bioreactors, and computational approaches. Key topics include mineralized extracellular matrix development, mechanobiology of bone cells, and the design of ex vivo platforms for drug screening. She emphasizes studying cell interactions in dynamic environments to mimic bone remodeling processes.

Grants & Awards: ERC Starting Grant (2013), Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (2013), NWO Vidi Grant (2018), ERC Proof of Concept Grant (2020), and a Women in Science Grant (2014).

Collaborations: Partners with semi-industry entities BonAlive and Osteo-Pharma. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and innovation.