Prof.dr. E. (Eric) Farrell

The bone tissue engineering research laboratory headed by Dr. Farrell performs basic and translational research with the main aim of investigating how to modulate new bone formation and the various cellular interactions that occur during this process. The research is focused on the process of endochondral ossification as a promising avenue for the generation of clinically relevant quantities of bone tissue to repair large bone defects. Additionally, the experimental model of endochondral ossification is exploited to investigate the role of host immune cells during bone tissue repair and the development of cancer metastasis in the bone niche. The group has specific expertise in 3D cell (co-)cultures and use of scaffolds, in vivo generation of tissue engineered bone, neovascularisation and osteoimmunology.

Bone tissue engineering, endochondral ossification, osteoimmunology, stem cells and bone metastasis

 

1998-2002 B.A. Mod. Physiology, Trinity College Dublin, 2002-2005 PhD in Physiology and Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin,

2005-2007 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, in Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin and Anatomy Department, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

2007-2009 Marie Curie Research Fellow, in the departments of Orthopaedics and Otorhinolaryngology of Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

2009-2010 Postdoctoral Researcher, Cardiovascular Group, in the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), National University of Ireland, Galway.

2010-2012 Postdoctoral Researcher, in the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) under FP7 project GAMBA.

2012-2018 Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

2018-2024 Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 

2024 to present Full Professor of with a Chair in Calcified Tissue Engineering and Regeneration, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Publications on Scopus

Publications & Profile on PURE

 Invited lecturer on Minor and Master courses at the Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Technical University Delft, The Netherlands, 2008-2016

Secretary of TERMIS global (Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society) 2019-2025

Awarded grants:

2025-2029         PI Horizon Europe HORIZON-HLTH-2024-TOOL-11: Lighting the way towards in situ osteochondral regeneration through micro extrusion and filamented light bioprinting. Total budget €8,825,873, EMC share €628,750
2023-2027         PI/Coordinator, TKI-LSH-PPP Match call: Ramming the roadblocks; Addressing barriers to translation in bone tissue engineering. Total budget €957,291
2022-2026         Coordinator/Joint PI, TKI-LSH-PPP Match call: Bone metastasis “in a dish”: Engineering vascularised bone in vitro to model metastatic breast cancer. Total budget €471,821.
2021-2024         Joint PI/Coordinator, TKI-LSH-PPP Match call: Understanding early processes in osteoarthritis: Paving the way for novel drugs. Total budget €548,202 
2021-2023         Co-applicant, AO CMF Start-up Grant. Releasing the “brakes” to drive tissue repair: targeting non-coding RNAs for bone regeneration. Total budget €50,000.
2018-2022         PI Horizon 2020 FET Open project. Modeling spontaneous Breast cancer metastasis TO the Bone with a first-of-its-kind 3D device that recapitulates physiological tissue-level complexity. Total budget €3,799,371, EMC share €400k
2018-2021         PI Horizon2020 EuroNanomed III: Nanoscores: Nanostructured osteochondral scaffold: novel biomimetic tRiggErS for enhanced bone regeneration. Total budget €1.1 million, EMC share €146k. 
2016-2017         PI Erasmus MC Mrace pilot project. Development of a humanised in vivo model of prostate cancer bone metastasis: combining oncology with tissue engineering. Total budget €50k.
2016-2020         Joint PI/Coordinator Horizon2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Training Network. Controlling Cartilage to Bone Transitions for Improved Treatment of Bone Defects and Osteoarthritis. Total budget €3.6 million, EMC share €900k.
2015-2017         PI AO Foundation Start-up Grant. Generation of new bone using potent allogeneic paediatric mesenchymal stem cells. Total budget €100k. 
2014-2016         PI AO Foundation Start-up Grant. Endochondral ossification of mesenchymal stem cells in the allogeneic setting for bone defect repair. Total budget €50k.
2010-2014         Co-author Framework Programme 7. Gene activated matrices for bone and cartilage regeneration in arthritis. Total budget €4.1 million. Total NUIG share €493k 
2008-2009         Applicant/Fellow Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship: Development of a model of in vitro endochondral ossification with neovascularisation. Total budget €119k.