Prof. Dr. Meltem Avci-Adali is head of the Research Laboratory of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University Hospital in Tübingen. She received her PhD in Biology from the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and studied Pharmaceutical Technology and Biomedical Engineering. Her research interests include tissue engineering, improving the hemocompatibility of blood-contacting medical devices and implants, biofunctionalization of implant surfaces, endothelialization, and immune activation. She also has extensive research experience in nucleic acid-based applications (e.g., synthetic mRNAs and aptamers), as well as in stem cells (iPSCs, MSCs, and EPCs) and cell reprogramming.