Zaida Álvarez Pinto, a principal investigator at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has received an ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council. This grant is awarded to researchers who are establishing independent research teams and pursuing innovative scientific projects. Álvarez was selected as part of 11.3% of candidates chosen from 3,121 proposals across Europe.
Álvarez began her career at IBEC, completing her PhD under Elisabeth Engel. She continued her work in the United States at Northwestern University as a postdoctoral researcher and later as an assistant professor. In 2022, she returned to IBEC with a Ramón y Cajal fellowship and became Junior Group Leader two years later. She currently leads the Biomaterials for Neural Regeneration group.
The funding will support the project titled Engineered Humanized Spinal Cord Construct for Advancing Health and Disease Research (SPINECRAFT). The initiative addresses limitations in current laboratory models of the central nervous system (CNS), which often fail to replicate its complexity. Traditional methods such as 2D cultures, 3D organoids, and animal models do not fully capture CNS structure or function.
SPINECRAFT aims to develop a 4D human spinal cord construct that closely resembles actual spinal cord architecture and function. The project will use advanced imaging, computational modeling, bioprinting techniques, and new bioinks to create a detailed model with human neural and vascular cells. Patient-derived cells will also be integrated to study disease-specific conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
According to the press release: "This ambitious approach represents a paradigm shift in CNS research. SPINECRAFT will set new standards in tissue engineering and open doors to breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease modelling and regenerative therapies-pushing the boundaries of what is possible in neuroscience."
The project received an additional €800,000 on top of the standard €2 million grant for specialized equipment needed for multi-cellular bioprinting and advanced functional analysis. This investment places IBEC among leading institutions in developing high-fidelity human spinal cord models.
