Wouter J.A. Dhert

Affiliated Society: European Society for Biomaterials
Country of Residence: The Netherlands
Current Position: Dean Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Chair Utrecht Life Sciences

Email
Website
LinkedIn

Biography:

Since December 2014 Wouter Dhert is the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and full professor of translational musculoskeletal research at Utrecht University. From 2008 until 2014 he was full professor at the Dept. of Orthoapedics at the University Medical Center Utrecht and part-time professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He studied Medicine at Leiden University after which he obtained a PhD at the Leiden Biomaterials Research Group in 1993. Until 2014 he was chair of the UMC Utrecht research program ‘Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells’ and member of the management team (vice-chair – reseach and education) of the division of Surgical Specialties. He is experienced in developing and leading teaching programs (e.g. PhD program ‘Regenerative Medicine’ as well as of the Master Program ‘Regenerative Medicine & Technology’ (in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology) of the Utrecht University Graduate School of Life Sciences). He serves at several international committees/boards related to regenerative medicine and/or musculoskeletal research, such as the Tissue Engineering journal (executive editorial board), Netherlands Institute for Regenerative Medicine (NIRM), the AO Research Review Commission (AORRC), and the Anna Foundation. In 2000 he was acknowledged as international Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE), in 2001 he received the Dutch ‘Anna-award’ for establishing a ‘most-promising post-doctoral research line’. In 2008, he was President of the World Biomaterials Congress in Amsterdam.

Areas of research interest:

Wouter Dhert’s main research focus is on regeneration of tissues of the musculoskeletal system, in particular bone and cartilaginous tissues, with specific applications in animal and man being spinal surgery and joint reconstruction. Since 2004 he is actively involved in applying biofabrication/ additive tissue manufacturing technology within his research focus, and one of the founders of the ‘Utrecht Biofabrication Facility’. Wouter Dhert is (co)author of approximately 210 peer-reviewed papers.

Research keywords:

Orthopaedic Biomaterials, Spine, Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering