NWO XS grant for Dr. Wlodarczyk-Biegun

Dr. Malgorzata (Gosia) Wlodarczyk-Biegun of the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials ( ZIAM ) has been awarded a NWO XS grant worth EUR 50,000. She received the grant for her research project on ‘3D Printed Human Trabecular Meshwork’. The NWO XS category strives to encourage curiosity-driven and bold research involving a quick analysis of a promising idea. As a pilot, applicants are also an assessor in the XS assessment process.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. The main cause of glaucoma is damage of the ocular nerve, caused by an increase in intraocular pressure due to clogging of the so-called Human Trabecular Meshwork. Currently, there is no satisfactory cure for glaucoma. The goal of Wlodarczyk-Biegun’s project is to use a new 3D printing technique to build up the synthetic Human Trabecular Meshwork. This synthetic structure could be used as a model to test different drugs and therapies or as an implantable material to replace an unfunctional Trabecular Meshwork.

This round, twenty-four applications have been awarded a NWO XS grant.