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6 August 2026

CICECO researcher Daniela Bispo wins MDPI Cells Best PhD Thesis Award

CICECO researcher Daniela Bispo wins MDPI Cells Best PhD Thesis Award

Daniela S. C. Bispo, a researcher at CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, has been announced as the winner of the Cells Best PhD Thesis Award 2025, granted by the MDPI journal Cells (Impact Factor 6.0, CiteScore 11.4).

Launched in 2021, the award recognises young scholars who have produced an outstanding PhD thesis in the field of cell biology, molecular biology, or biophysics, and aims to encourage the continuation of their research and further contributions to the field. Only one winner is selected each year, receiving a CHF 800 prize and an electronic certificate.

The winner was selected by an international Award Committee chaired by Dr. Alexander E. Kalyuzhny (University of Minnesota), alongside Dr. Roger Schneiter (University of Fribourg), Prof. Fulvio Reggiori (University Medical Center Groningen), Prof. Kazuyuki Kitatani (Setsunan University), and Dr. Bor Luen Tang (National University of Singapore).

A metabolomics approach to bone regeneration

Daniela completed her PhD within the Biotechnology Doctoral Program (specialisation in Medical Biotechnology) at the University of Aveiro, under the supervision of Ana M. Gil and co-supervised by Mariana Oliveira and João Mano. Her research focused on characterising the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolomics — work carried out within the BIOIMPLANT project (A Metabolomics-guided Bioreactor for Improved Engineered Bone Implants) and the BetterBone project (Metabolite-Activated 3D Stem Cell Differentiation into Bone), both hosted at CICECO.

Her doctoral work sought to identify robust, donor-independent metabolic markers capable of tracking and predicting the osteogenic commitment of mesenchymal stem cells — findings with direct relevance to regenerative medicine strategies and the development of engineered bone implants and biomaterials.

This body of work has already resulted in a substantial body of publications in leading journals, including Cells, Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, Journal of Proteome Research, and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, among others, reflecting the depth and impact of her contribution to the field of stem cell metabolomics.

About the award

The Cells Best PhD Thesis Award is open to PhD students or recently qualified graduates whose thesis represents original, outstanding work in cell biology, molecular biology, or biophysics, and which has been defended within the relevant award year. Applications are accepted annually from September to May, with winners announced in July.

Congratulations to Daniela and to her supervisory team on this well-deserved recognition of her scientific excellence and contribution to the field of stem cell research.

More information about the award is available on the Cells Best PhD Thesis Award page.

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