LUMC Team

Milena is Professor of Genetics at the University of Padova (Italy) and Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands). Her research focuses on human iPSC technology to model inherited cardiac diseases. She develops advanced 2D and 3D cardiac models to investigate molecular mechanisms of arrhythmias. Integrating genetics, electrophysiology, and tissue engineering, her team aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and develop platforms for safety pharmacology. During her career, she has been granted with a Marie Curie fellowship (2012), FEBS Anniversary Prize for outstanding achievements in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2016), and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2020). 

m.bellin@lumc.nl

Viviana obtained her PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Milano-Bicocca and she is now a Senior Researcher in Anatomy & Embryology at LUMC (Leiden, NL). Her work focuses on hiPSC-based cardiac models and advanced 3D multicellular systems to study inherited and acquired cardiomyopathies. She integrates gene editing, disease modeling, and high-throughput drug screening to uncover therapeutic targets and advance treatment strategies. She is committed to the advancement of human-relevant platforms to replace, reduce, and refine animal use. 

v.meraviglia@lumc.nl

Giulia obtained her PhD in Physiology at the University of Milan, specialising in Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology. She is now Senior Researcher in Anatomy & Embryology Department at LUMC (Leiden). Her work focuses on understanding cellular mechanisms of inherited cardiac arrhythmias and cardiotoxicity with hiPSC-derived models. She is particularly interested in improving reliability of human in vitro heart models. She brings strong expertise in cellular electrophysiology, advanced 3D culture systems, complex gene regulation, and R-based data analysis.

g.campostrini@lumc.nl 

Beatrice obtained her BSc in Biomedical Engineering at the Univ. of Padova and MSc in Tissue Engineering at Technikum Wien. She trained at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on stem cell–based disease modeling. She completed her PhD at Leiden Univ. Medical Center, developing hiPSC-derived cardiac and kidney organoids and integrating them in organ-on-chip platforms. She has expertise in stem cell culture, organoid engineering, 3D bioprinting, and microfluidics to study multi-organ communication.

b.gabbin@lumc.nl

Sanne holds a BSc from Hogeschool Leiden and an MSc from Leiden University. Currently a PhD candidate at LUMC, she investigates the role of connexin 43 (Cx43) in human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), focusing on maturation and arrhythmogenesis. She uses gene editing and 3D models to improve the physiological relevance of in vitro systems for cardiac disease modeling.

s.wiersma@lumc.nl

I started as a technician in 1981 at Hubrecht Lab. In 2008, I moved to LUMC with Christine Mummery to introduce hESC/hiPSC work, focusing on training and cardiomyocyte differentiation. From 2010, I worked with Milena on gene editing (homologous recombination & CRISPR-Cas). Throughout my career, I always jumped into projects wherever hands were needed. After a long and dedicated journey, I concluded my work in the lab and retired in 2026. 

t.m.j.ward-van_oostwaard@lumc.nl

Andy obtained his MSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Amsterdam before beginning his PhD studies at the Leiden University Medical Center, focusing on iPSC-derived retinal organoid disease models and the development of retinal gene therapies. Now he works as a research technician investigating the mechanisms of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in both 2D and 3D iPSC-derived cardiac models. 

a.mcdonald@lumc.nl