Magdalena Fossum

PhD fellowship in translational tissue engineering for urethral reconstructions at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Julianne Marie Center, Rigshospitalet, within a research environment focused on paediatric surgery, urology, and tissue engineering. The project addresses severe congenital malformations of the urinary and genital systems, with a specific focus on developing autologous tissue-engineered grafts for male urethral reconstruction. The work aims to support reconstructive surgery in children facing complex conditions such as severe hypospadias and other congenital urinary tract malformations where tissue deficiency and poor tissue quality make surgery especially challenging. The research is built around guided tissue engineering, using the body’s own regenerative capacity to create autologous grafts in vivo. The PhD will combine preclinical in vitro studies with in vivo animal experiments to investigate biomaterials and autologous tissues for reconstructive applications, with emphasis on regenerative potential and suitability for clinical translation. The project is embedded in collaboration between Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, the Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Supervision is led by Professor Magdalena Fossum, with co-supervision from researchers based at the Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and the Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. The fellowship is positioned within a highly specialized clinical and translational setting with opportunities for teaching, scientific dissemination, congress participation, and research visits. The overall aim is to develop a simple, cost-effective regenerative approach that could eventually be translated into reconstructive surgery for paediatric patients and potentially broader patient groups needing tissue reconstruction.