Maria Alexaki graduated in Materials Science and Technology from the University of Crete in Greece. She obtained her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the same university. During her master’s thesis at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), she successfully isolated and cultured primary esophageal and intestinal cells from mice. The aim of her project was to establish protocols for expanding these cells as organoids. These organoids could then be plated onto muscle tissue from the esophagus or intestine, facilitating tissue regeneration locally after radiofrequency ablation or IR, respectively.Currently, Maria is a PhD student in the Compass group, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks under the TheraTools program. Her research project focuses on the development of an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model using microfluidic tools.
In her free time, Maria enjoys traveling, swimming, listening to music, and meeting her friends.