Cristina Barrias is a Principal Investigator and Leader of the Bioengineered 3D Microenvironments (BEMIC) group at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto (www.i3s.up.pt) and an Invited Associate Professor at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto. She also serves as Vice-President of the Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), Vice-President and Journal Liaison Officer of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), and is Managing Editor of Materials Today Bio.
Her research focuses on engineering bioinspired 3D in vitro microenvironments to recreate and investigate the dynamic processes of tissue morphogenesis and remodeling in health and disease. Her group integrates molecularly designed biomaterials, microtissues, organoids, and advanced biofabrication technologies to model human tissue development, regeneration, and pathology. A central goal is to recreate functional, large-scale microvascular networks that reproduce the structural and functional interplay between blood and lymphatic microvessels, thereby addressing the vascularization bottleneck that still limits tissue and organ engineering. In parallel, her team develops next-generation human-based 3D in vitro models, including organ-on-chip systems, to advance fundamental research, therapeutic discovery, and screening.
Selected Publications
Vascular units as advanced living materials for bottom-up engineering of perfusable 3D microvascular networks. Bioactive Materials38:499-511, 2024. [Journal: Article] [CI: 12] [IF: 20.3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.05.021 SCOPUS: 85193041211
Barros da Silva P., Oliveira R.J.A., Araújo M., Caires H.R., Bidarra S.J., Barrias C.C.
An integrative alginate-based 3D in vitro model to explore epithelial-stromal cell dynamics in the breast tumor microenvironment. Carbohydrate Polymers342:, 2024. [Journal: Article] [CI: 9] [IF: 12.5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122363 SCOPUS: 85195551038
Magalhães M.V., Débera N., Pereira R.F., Neves M.I., Barrias C.C., Bidarra S.J.
In situ crosslinkable multi-functional and cell-responsive alginate 3D matrix via thiol-maleimide click chemistry. Carbohydrate Polymers337:, 2024. [Journal: Article] [CI: 15] [IF: 12.5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122144 SCOPUS: 85190291263
Carvalho E.D., Morais M.R.G., Pêgo A.P., Barrias C.C., Araújo M.
The interplay between chemical conjugation and biologic performance in the development of alginate-based 3D matrices to mimic neural microenvironments. Carbohydrate Polymers323:, 2024. [Journal: Article] [CI: 5] [IF: 12.5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121412 SCOPUS: 85173151997
Neves M.I., Magalhães M.V., Bidarra S.J., Moroni L., Barrias C.C.
Versatile click alginate hydrogels with protease-sensitive domains as cell responsive/instructive 3D microenvironments. Carbohydrate Polymers320:, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 15] [IF: 10.7]
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121226 SCOPUS: 85165717522
Neves M.I., Bidarra S.J., Magalhães M.V., Torres A.L., Moroni L., Barrias C.C.
Microstructured click hydrogels for cell contact guidance in 3D. Materials Today Bio19:, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 12] [IF: 8,2 (*)]
DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100604 SCOPUS: 85150054257
Feijão T., Neves M.I., Sousa A., Torres A.L., Bidarra S.J., Orge I.D., Carvalho D.T.O., Barrias C.C.
Engineering injectable vascularized tissues from the bottom-up: Dynamics of in-gel extra-spheroid dermal tissue assembly. Biomaterials279:, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 17] [IF: 15,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121222 SCOPUS: 85118349708
Carvalho D.T.O., Feijão T., Neves M.I., Da Silva R.M.P., Barrias C.C.
Directed self-assembly of spheroids into modular vascular beds for engineering large tissue constructs. Biofabrication13(3):, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 11,1]
DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/abc790 SCOPUS: 85105354294
Torres A.L., Bidarra S.J., Vasconcelos D.P., Barbosa J.N., Silva E.A., Nascimento D.S., Barrias C.C.
Microvascular engineering: Dynamic changes in microgel-entrapped vascular cells correlates with higher vasculogenic/angiogenic potential. Biomaterials228:, 2020. [Journal: Article] [CI: 40] [IF: 12,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119554 SCOPUS: 85074166551
Neves S.C., Moroni L., Barrias C.C., Granja P.L.
Leveling Up Hydrogels: Hybrid Systems in Tissue Engineering. Trends in Biotechnology38(3):292-315, 2020. [Journal: Review] [CI: 101] [IF: 19,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.09.004 SCOPUS: 85075891574
Torres A.L., Bidarra S.J., Pinto M.T., Aguiar P.C., Silva E.A., Barrias C.C.
Guiding morphogenesis in cell-instructive microgels for therapeutic angiogenesis. Biomaterials154:34-47, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 52] [IF: 10,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.10.051 SCOPUS: 85032820887
