Cellular-Organ Models, Mechanotransduction and Emerging Biomimetic Technologies
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
Dr. Jorge Luis Menchaca Arredondo is a research professor at the Faculty of Physical‑Mathematical Sciences of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, where he has helped make biophysics and nanoscale surface studies central pillars of research in materials science and biological systems. As co‑founder of the surface and interface physical chemistry laboratory, he uses atomic force microscopy to probe the viscoelastic properties of cells, the organization of biomolecules and the behavior of nanoparticles in liquid environments, providing a direct window into the forces and textures that govern life at the microscopic scale. His projects range from encapsulating biological material using microfluidic techniques to advancing liquid‑AFM methodologies, establishing his group as a reference for leveraging high‑precision physical tools to understand and manipulate biological interfaces and complex materials.
University of Michigan
Dr. Ramon Ocadiz Ruiz is a researcher in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, with over a decade of experience in cancer biology and metastasis. His work focuses on elucidating the molecular basis of tumor development and the dynamics of metastatic spread using bioengineered microenvironments and advanced models of breast and lung cancer, with the goal of improving early detection and disease prognosis. He is a recipient of the Pierre Massion Young Investigator Award for Lung Cancer Early Detection Research from the LUNGevity Foundation, recognizing his emerging contributions in developing bioengineered implants for early detection of lung cancer.
McMaster University
Dr. José Moran‑Mirabal is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster University, University Scholar, Canada Research Chair in Micro‑ and Nanostructured Materials, and Founding Director of the Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy. His group combines micro‑ and nanofabrication, surface chemistry, and high‑resolution fluorescence microscopy to design materials and devices from the micrometer down to the nanometer scale. Their research includes the development of high‑fidelity bioinks for 3D bioprinting of biomimetic tissue models, modular functionalization of nanocellulose, and simple, low‑cost fabrication of micro‑ and nanostructured surfaces, which have become reference platforms for probing biomolecular interactions and building advanced experimental systems.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales - UNAM
Dr. María Cristina Piña Barba is one of the leading pioneers of medical physics and biomaterials in Mexico, and a key figure pushing materials science toward concrete solutions for health. Her research focuses on designing and understanding biomaterials for prostheses, implants and three‑dimensional scaffolds that can help repair and regenerate tissues, always with the goal that what happens in the lab eventually reaches patients and clinicians. Through projects that bring together physics, medicine and materials science, and through efforts that connect the university with hospitals and companies, she helps turn advanced biomaterials -such as 3D scaffolds and decellularized extracellular matrices- into real tools for better health care.
Instituto de Ciencias Físicas - UNAM
Dr. Susel Del Sol Fernández leads the Biophysics Laboratory at UNAM’s Institute of Physical Sciences, a leading group in the study of how polyene drugs, ion channels and biological membranes interact. Her team combines atomic force microscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, single‑channel electrophysiology, nanoparticle analysis (TRPS), and molecular dynamics and quantum simulations to unravel how antibiotics such as amphotericin B act at the lipid bilayer level and how this knowledge can be used to design analogs and controlled‑release systems, particularly safer and more effective liposomal formulations. This work has established her laboratory as one of Mexico’s reference groups in membrane biophysics and nanomedicine, driving the rational design of drug‑delivery vehicles and new therapeutic strategies grounded in the physics of biological systems.
CINVESTAV Monterrey
Dr. Gabriel A. Caballero‑Robledo is a renowned researcher at CINVESTAV Monterrey, specializing in soft-matter physics and microfluidics applied to biomedical devices. His laboratory develops microfluidic and nanotechnology-based systems for controlled drug delivery using microbubbles and ultrasound, for the study of extracellular vesicles and plant-derived nanovesicles, and for the self-organization of microparticles in microfluidic channels for immunoassays and rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases, positioning these technologies as more accessible and efficient alternatives to conventional methods.
LAAS-CNRS
Dr. Morgan Delarue is a CNRS researcher at the Laboratoire d’Analyse et d’Architecture des Systèmes (LAAS‑CNRS) in Toulouse, a research center dedicated to complex systems and advanced technologies. He leads the MechaBioFluidics team, which investigates how compressive mechanical stress impacts cell physiology, combining microfluidics, biophysics and cell biology to explore what happens when cells are put under pressure, from yeast to mammalian cells. This work has helped establish his laboratory as a reference group for understanding how mechanical stress in the microenvironment shapes cell proliferation, intracellular organization and treatment responses, particularly in cancer and other diseases linked to tissue mechanics.
Harvard Medical School
Dr. Yu Shrike Zhang is a professor at Harvard Medical School and works in the Division of Engineering in Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he directs the Laboratory of Engineered Living Systems (Zhang Lab).
His lab advances organ‑on‑chip platforms, 3D bioprinting, and the biofabrication of scaffolds and hydrogels to build biomimetic tissues and microphysiological models that are widely recognized and adopted in international research. It also develops bioanalysis tools and minimally invasive delivery systems used to study diseases, evaluate drugs, and design regenerative and personalized medicine strategies, contributions that have earned numerous awards and establish him as a leading figure in biofabrication and microphysiological systems.
Institut Cochin
Dr. Paolo Pierobon is a Director of Research at Institut Cochin (INSERM/CNRS, Paris), where he investigates the dynamics of cytoskeleton‑dependent immune responses. His group studies how mechanical forces, actin and microtubule organization, and cell polarity regulate lymphocyte activation and immune synapse formation, combining biophysical approaches, advanced microscopy, and microfluidics to follow communication between immune cells in tissues such as lymph nodes. This work has established his laboratory as a leading group in understanding how the properties of the immune microenvironment shape the effectiveness of immune responses and guide the design of new targeted therapies.
Université Grenoble Alpes
Dr. Alice Nicolas is a researcher at the Laboratoire des Technologies de la Microélectronique (LTM), a joint CNRS–Université Grenoble Alpes research unit on the MINATEC‑CEA campus, dedicated to developing micro‑ and nanotechnologies for microelectronics and health. Within the “Micro and Nanotechnologies for Health, Energy and Environment” (MiNaSEE) division, which she co‑leads, her work focuses on the design and fabrication of micro‑ and nanofabricated platforms for biosensors, medical devices and analytical systems that integrate advanced materials and state‑of‑the‑art cleanroom technologies to develop innovative solutions for the diagnosis and monitoring of biological systems.
Universidad del Valle de México, Campus Querétaro
Dr. Néstor Méndez Lozano is a research professor at Universidad del Valle de México, Querétaro Campus, specializing in materials science and leading projects in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico and CINVESTAV Querétaro to develop new solutions for medicine. His work has focused on ceramic calcium phosphate biomaterials with composition and structure close to the hydroxyapatite present in human bone, produced through microwave‑assisted hydrothermal processes to obtain biocompatible materials that are recognized as “self” by the body. These advances aim to replace conventional metallic joint prostheses with implants and coatings that support bone integration and regeneration, bringing the UVM–UNAM–CINVESTAV collaboration to the forefront of Mexican efforts in biomaterials for orthopedics and bone reconstruction and directly linking materials engineering to clinical needs.
Purdue University
Dr. Shalini Low‑Nam leads a research group in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics at Purdue University focused on membrane biophysics and signaling in immune and tumor cells. Her lab combines single‑molecule fluorescence imaging, fast high‑resolution microscopy and immunology to dissect how membrane organization and dynamics control T‑cell activation, immune–tumor cell interactions and the mechanisms by which engineered cells such as CAR‑T recognize and eliminate their targets. This work places her group at the forefront of mechanobiology and signaling biology, providing quantitative tools and new insights to improve immunotherapies and cancer control strategies.
CINVESTAV
Dr. América Alejandra Padilla Viveros is a Cinvestav researcher, Biotechnology Engineer, and PhD graduate in Chemical-Biological Sciences specialising in transforming scientific knowledge into impactful innovation. Her work brings together technology transfer, intellectual property, research valorisation, and the circular bioeconomy to help move biotechnology developments in health, agri-food, and environmental fields into protected, scalable technologies with real-world applications. She is co-inventor of national and international patents and a utility model, including a 3D bioprinting device recognised with the 2024 IMPI Mexican Innovation Award.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales - UNAM
Dr. Yareli Rojas-Aguirre is a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Materials Research and leads a multidisciplinary group that brings together expertise in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering to create next-generation therapeutic platforms. Her research lies at the frontier of biomaterials and nanomedicine, investigating how molecular recognition and self-assembly can be programmed to control structure–function relationships in complex systems. Building on these principles, she develops biomaterials, nanostructures, systems, and devices with the potential to transform targeted drug delivery and expand the toolkit available to pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. Her work combines fundamental science, rational materials design, and applied innovation to advance supramolecular strategies toward therapeutic solutions for diseases of high relevance. She also promotes rigorous public engagement with nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and their societal implications, strengthening the connection between scientific breakthroughs and society.
Tec de Monterrey / INBioTech
Dr. María Luisa del Prado Audelo is a professor‑researcher at the School of Engineering and Sciences of Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she leads the INBioTech Lab (Innovation in Nano and Biotechnology Laboratory) focused on biomaterials and nanosystems for health applications. Her work lies at the interface of biomaterials and nanotechnology: she designs nanoparticles and nano‑, micro‑ and macro‑scale platforms for controlled release of biomolecules and drugs, biopolymeric scaffolds for tissue regeneration, and biopolymer aerogels for water remediation, with a strong emphasis on sustainable solutions and unconventional therapies. Recent projects include nanosystems encapsulating active components from essential oils to target microorganisms that evade traditional treatments and targeted delivery systems for tissue engineering; her contributions have been recognised with awards such as the Canifarma Award for Technological Development and the Bionano Award, as well as her selection among 3M’s 25 Women in Science in Latin America.
Dr. Tatiana Fiordelisio Coll is a professor at UNAM’s Faculty of Sciences, where she investigates the physiology of the neuroendocrine system and endocrine cell dynamics under physiological and pathological conditions, with particular interest in how intracellular signalling and tissue microenvironments relate to endocrine‑metabolic diseases and pituitary tumours. She is also head of the National Laboratory for Biomimetic Solutions for Diagnosis and Therapy (LANSBIODYT), from which she drives an innovation ecosystem in biomimetic platforms and medical devices so that research can be translated into solutions with real social impact. Her work spans the design and development of organ‑on‑chip and microphysiological systems, together with point‑of‑care (PoC) diagnostic technologies such as biosensors, and portable systems for organ preservation in transplantation, all guided by a clear mission: to create bio‑inspired materials and devices that solve medical problems and turn transformative technologies into products accessible to society. She is the Mexican co‑leader of the CNRS International Research Project (IRP) BioPhysImmuno, which structures Franco‑Mexican collaboration with LAI in Marseille, and a co‑organizer of this COMMET symposium.
Dr. Pierre‑Henri Puech is one of the central figures in adhesion biophysics and immunobiophysics at the Adhesion and Inflammation Laboratory (LAI, Marseille), where he has placed mechanobiology at the heart of the discussion on immune and cancer cell behaviour. His work examines how lymphocytes and other cells convert mechanical cues into signalling decisions: how mechanotransduction controls cascades triggered by cell–cell contact, how cells continuously generate forces, and how piconewton‑scale loads reconfigure biomolecules and guidance pathways in living tissues. By integrating force‑based biophysical approaches with advanced imaging and rigorous quantitative analysis, his group builds a physical and molecular framework for understanding immune recognition, fibrosis and cancer progression. He is the French co‑leader of the CNRS International Research Project (IRP) BioPhysImmuno, which structures the Franco‑Mexican collaboration with LANSBIODYT, and is a co‑organizer of this COMMET symposium.
Dr. Edda Lydia Sciutto Conde is a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Biomedical Research and one of the most influential figures in the immunology of parasitic infections and neuroinflammation. She is widely recognized for developing the S3Pvac vaccine against Taenia solium and for decisive contributions to the diagnosis of human and porcine neurocysticercosis, which have reshaped how this disease is addressed in the region. Her trajectory has pushed classical immunology toward the study of neuroinflammatory components and the role of the blood–brain barrier in autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders, bridging parasitology, neuroscience and translational medicine. She also drives the development of advanced blood–brain barrier models -including chip‑based approaches and experimental platforms that allow quantitative measurement of its permeability and drug passage into the brain- with the aim of designing more effective and specific therapeutic strategies for complex neurological diseases.
Dr. Paula Licona Limón is a principal investigator at UNAM’s Institute of Cellular Physiology and a leading figure in cellular and molecular immunology in Mexico. Her laboratory investigates how the immune system controls bacterial, parasitic and viral infections, as well as responses to cancer and autoimmunity, using transgenic, reporter and deficient mouse models to define effector mechanisms and signalling pathways across different lymphoid populations. Her research focuses on type 2 immune responses, the role of factors such as TGF‑β and the PKA pathway in T‑cell subset differentiation, and the design of immunotherapies against multidrug‑resistant bacterial strains, placing her at the forefront of efforts to understand and modulate immune responses in complex infections and cancer.
Dr. Leonardo Ibor Ruiz Ortega conducts cutting-edge research at the intersection of biophysics, nanotechnology, and biomaterials. At the University of Sonora, he employs scanning probe microscopy to investigate, at nanometre resolution, the mechanical and physicochemical properties that govern the behaviour of biological structures. His work combines fundamental studies of living systems with the design and characterisation of hydrogels, nanoparticles, biopolymers, and metal–organic frameworks for biomedical applications.
His current research on the nanomechanics of biological structures provides valuable tools and perspectives for the development of biomimetic models, microphysiological platforms, and emerging healthcare technologies. His involvement aligns with the research and development initiatives promoted by LANSBIODYT, strengthening the dialogue between fundamental science, materials engineering, and biomedical innovation.
