"Spotlight on Emerging NETSKINMODELS Talent

My name is Renata Basto, and I am a PhD student in Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Portugal. My research focuses on restoring hair growth by reshaping the perifollicular niche, a critical but often overlooked component of the hair follicle architecture. I am developing a strategy for precise hair regeneration, using the patient’s own blood to produce biomimetic nanoparticles that, with the help of 3D-printed microneedles, enable the localized delivery of bioactive molecules directly to the hair follicle. I am currently conducting assays with human hair follicles and have a strong interest in testing my system in an in vitro hair growth model or a hair-on-a-chip prototype—a direction I hope to explore further through future COST collaborations.

I am part of the COST Science Communication Team, and this COST Action has not only deepened my understanding of skin models through networking opportunities and webinars, but also enabled a collaboration with the University of Greenwich through a STSM, as well as the opportunity to attend a Training School on 3D skin and epidermal biology computer modelling.