About us (Early Stage Researchers, ESRs)
We are 15 young scientists from 13 different countries researching different imaging modalities and their optimisation for monitoring Mg-based implants in this training network. Everyone has different objectives to optimize the imaging for this new class of biodegradable Mg-based implants, thereby pushing the safety of degradable magnesium implants even further.
Begüm Okutan from Turkey at MUG
Begüm Okutan from the Medical University of Graz works on the in-vivo characterization of magnesium-based implants and the working title of her PhD is: In vivo characterisation of designated Mg materials (pins and wires) by µCT and fluorescence imaging.
Romy Marek from Switzerland at MUG
Romy Marek from the Medical University of Graz works within the MgSafe project on: Large animal in vivo characterisation of designated full size Mg implants (K-Wires, screws) by clinical CT.
Maryam Rahmati from Iran at UiO
During her PhD studies in MgSafe, Maryam Rahmati from the University of Oslo (UiO) works on the histological validation of advanced bone-implant imaging techniques. She is focusing on the assessment of implant degradation and incorporation by histological and immuno‐histochemical analyses and the comparison of histological evidence with advanced imaging techniques.
Maryam Rahmati defended her doctoral dissertation ‘In vivo evaluation of biomaterials for bone regeneration applications using advanced imaging techniques’:
Heithem Ben Amara from Tunesia at UGOT
Heithem Ben Amara broke his arm when he was a child and still remembers the operation, when the fixing screw was removed. Today he is a PhD student at University of Gothenburg (UGOT) and researches biodegradable magnesium based implants. Within MgSafe, he will focus on molecular and structural analyses during bone healing and soft-tissue inflammation.
Christina Yiannakou from Cyprus, Greece at MHH
Christina Yiannakou from Cyprus is doing her PhD within the EU-project MgSafe at Hannover Medical School (MHH). The working title of her PhD is: MRI development for Mg implants to study inflammation.
Leon Riehakainen from Estonia at CNR-IFC
Leon Riehakainen from Estonia is working at Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica in Pisa (CNR-IFC) and doing his PhD on multimodal imaging of bone regeneration and remodelling after implantation of degradable Mg-based devices in experimental animal models with a special focus on PET imaging.
Eduarda da Silva from Portugal at CNR-IFC
Eduarda's task within MgSafe are biochemical and biohumoral studies of bone regeneration and remodelling after implantation. She is affiliated with Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica in Pisa (CNR-IFC).
Hafiz Wajahat Hassan from Pakistan at OsloMet
Hafiz Wajahat Hassan is working on spectral analysis at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). The working title of his PhD is: In vivo monitoring of the body reaction to the implant by using a novel optical probe and near IR spectroscopy.
Diana Martinez from Columbia at WUT
She started in October 2019 at Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) in the Materials Design Division. Her task in the network is the characterisation of corrosion layer structure and composition in explants.
Hanna Ciewka from Poland at Hereon
Hanna started her PhD within MgSafe at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Hereon) April 2019. She works at the Hereon-outstation at DESY and focusses on the structural characterisation of explants by synchrotron radiation. One objective is the imaging of magnesium implants in native tissue environment.
Kamila Iskhakova from Russia at Hereon
Kamila Iskhakova from Russia at Hereon
Kamila Iskhahova started her PhD at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Hereon). Her aim is to link ultrastructure and biomechanical properties of bone adjacent to biodegradable magnesium implants. She studies the biomechanical properties of the bone-implant surface and the adjust bone tissue by synchrotron radiation at the Hereon outstation at DESY.
Marwa Chaabane from Tunesia at SCANCO
Marwa Chaabane from Scanco Medical AG is a computer scientist. During her PhD she will work on the development of a system to join 2D, 3D and 4D data and to describe their relative relation in space & time. The working title of her thesis is Software development for management and visualisation of multimodal data.
Mostafa Berangi from Iran at MRI.T
Mostafa started his PhD at MRI.Tools in Berlin (MRI.T). He works on his thesis titled En route to the clinic: MR safety - MR antenna design tailored for magnesium alloy implants.
Jonathan Espiritu from Canada at SYN
PhD student Jonathan Espiritu from Canada works at Syntellix in Hannover (SYN) and researches within the EU project MgSafe on MR safety and the influence of Mg implants on MR signals.
Valeria Grasso from Italy at VSI
Valeria Grasso is a PhD student working at FujiFilm SonoSite (VSI) in Amsterdam. She focusses on high-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging for human applications.