at the Interface of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Bioengineering and Clinical Research.
2023
Myofibroblasts and Friends. 15 December 2023, ETH Zürich Swiss interdisciplinary research consortium SKINTEGRITY, Zurich, Switzerland
Myofibroblast mechanobiology in fibrotic conditions. Novo Nordisk, 16 November, 2023, Måløv, Denmark
Mechanical control of the secretome of mesenchymal stromal cells, Innovations in Wound Healing Conference Florida Keys December 7-11, 2023, Key Largo, FL, USA
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Myofibroblast communications in fibrosis. Pulmonary Kaganov Initiative Symposium, Duke University, November 15-16, 2023, Durham NC, USA
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The Twisted Path of a Manuscript. Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM), October 23, 2023, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Myofibroblast Mechanobiology in Fibrotic Conditions. Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology (CMTM) Symposium on Cell-Matrix Communication, October 21, 2023, Boston, MA, USA (Keynote)
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Matrix Mediated Myofibroblast Memory. Gordon Research Conference on Collagen, July 9-14, 2023, New London, NH, USA
Myofibroblasts, or: when it gets hard for soft connective tissue. Canadian Orthopedic Association (COA) Annual Meeting, June 21-24, 2023, Calgary, AL, Canada
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Myofibroblasts: Taking care of business. 27th Canadian Connective Tissue Conference (CCTC), June 14-19, 2023, Toronto, ON Canada (Keynote)
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A Touchy Subject: Fibroblast Activation in the Injured Lung. Gordon Research Conference on Tissue Repair and Regeneration, May 28 – June 2, 2023, New London, NH, USA
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Myofibroblasts and Friends. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 03 May, 2023, Cincinnati, OH
First contact: when macrophages and fibroblasts meet. The Fibrosis Network, 27 April, 2023, Toronto, Canada
The Yin and Yang of myofibroblast activation. Faculty of Dentistry Research Seminar, 02 April, 2023, Toronto, Canada
Fibroblast-Macrophage Mechanobiology in Tissue Repair and Fibrosis. Keystone Symposium on Fibrosis Pathogenesis and Resolution: From Mechanisms to Therapies, March 19-23, 2023, Banff, AL, Canada
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Myofibroblasts: In the center of fibrogenesis. Center for Organogenesis Research and Trauma, UT Southwestern, 03 March, 2023, Dallas, TX
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Myofibroblasts, macrophages, and TGF-beta. 4th Growth Factors in Regeneration and Regenerative Medicine Conference, February 9–12, 2023, Cancun, Mexico
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How mesenchymal stromal cells memorize mechanical environment. The Fibrosis Network, 26 January, 2023, Toronto, Canada
2022
Fibroblasts and alveolar macrophages make a fibrotic handshake following lung injury. 3rd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis, October 6-11, 2022, Chania, Greece
Macrophage-Fibroblast Trash-Talk in Lung Fibrosis. 21st International Colloquium on Lung and Airway Fibrosis (ICLAF), October 3-7, 2022, Reykjavik, Iceland
Mechanical regulation of myofibroblast pheno-conversion and collagen contraction. 9th International Workshop on Cardiac Mechano-Electric Coupling and Arrhythmias (MEC2022), September 21-24, 2022, Freiburg, Germany
Mechanical education of therapeutic mesenchymal stromal cells for enhanced tissue repair. 29th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 17-19, 2022, Lyon, France
When growth factors become part of the ECM: Implications for fibrosis. FASEB Conference on Matricellular Proteins: Fundamental Concepts and New Directions. July 17-22, 2022, Lisbon, Portugal
When contraction becomes a problem: The mechanical impact of myofibroblasts. “Cardiopulmonary cell mechanobiology” at the World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB), July 10-14, 2022, Taipei, Taiwan
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2021
The Myofibroblast Universe. Workshop on Regeneration and Senescence: From biological mechanisms to numerical tools, December 7, 2021, Toulouse, France (Webinar)
The mechanics of wound healing and scarring around silicone implants. Joint EWMA & Journées Cicatrisation, October 26-27, 2021, Virtual Conference
How Myofibroblasts Deal with Foreign Bodies, Scleroderma Research Webinar Series, September 24, 2021, Ann Arbor, MI (Webinar)
Myofibroblast Matrix – Memory, Mechanics, and Mechanisms. American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) biennial meeting, September 11-15, 2021, St. Louis, MO (Plenary Lecture) (Webinar).
Myofibroblasts, Mechanics and Macrophages in Tissue Repair and Fibrosis. 3rd International symposium of the collaborative research center Transregio 67, September 08-10, 2021, Leipzig, Germany (Webinar)
A (Myo)fibroblast-Centric View on Fibrosis. Janelia 4D Cellular Physiology Workshop “R3 - Replace, Repair, Regenerate”, July 21-22, 2021, Virtual conference
The Mechanics of Silicone Implant Fibrosis. Annual Meeting of the Wound Healing Society (WHS), May 12-16, 2021, Dallas, Texas
Fibroblasts form a forceful and memorable connection with the matrix. Symposium on “Engineering Mechano-Intelligence”, January 28, 2021, Center of Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania (Webinar) (Keynote)
2020
A quick guide on how to get funded. THEmeshwork early career scientists Career Event, November 19, 2020 (Webinar)
‘How transforming growth factor mechanics affect fibroblast morphogenesis’. First International Virtual BMP Forum, October 14, 2020, Berlin, Germany (Webinar)
The healing powers of the myofibroblast. International Congress of Physiotherapy on Plastic Surgeries, Extracellular Matrix and Scar Tissues: From basic research to clinical practice. October 08-10, 2020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Webinar).
There is nothing beyond the fibroblast – on this flat earth. Symposium of the New York Academy of Sciences “Novel Approaches in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Beyond the Fibroblast”, March 24, 2020, New York, NY (Webinar)
2019
Myofibroblast-macrophage trash talk in fibrosis. OuR Science Day, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., November 19-20, 2019, Ridgefield, CT
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Myofibroblasts in Repair and Fibrosis. Annual Retreat of the Molecular Life Sciences PhD program of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, October 10-12, 2019, Rigi Kaltbad, Switzerland
The Magic Between Myofibroblasts and Macrophages. 28th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 11-12, 2019, Munich, Germany
The social networks of myofibroblasts. 16th International Workshop on Scleroderma Research, July 27-31, 2019, Cambridge, UK
Crosstalk between matrix, fibroblasts, and macrophages in remodelling processes. Gordon Research Conference (GRC) “Elastin, Elastic Fibers & Microfibrils”, July 21-26, 2019, Manchester, NH
How fibroblasts use the extracellular matrix as a tin can phone to talk to other cells. American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) Workshop: ‚Fibroblasts, The Arbiters of Extracellular Matrix Remodeling‘, June 23-25, 2019, Charlottesville, VA
The Myofibroblast Matrix. Jefferson Matrix Biology and Pathology Symposium “Frontiers in Tumor Matrix Interactions”, May 22–24, 2019, Philadelphia, PA
Fibroblast and Macrophage Interactions in Fibrosis. Wound Healing Hub Symposium Day: ‘Wi-Fi-bros-is‘, February 17, 2019, Kefar Saba, Israel
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. Faculty of Dentistry Research Day, February 14, 2019, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
2018
Myofibroblasts, Macrophages,and Mechanics. Wound Healing: Innovation and Discovery Symposium, December 6-9, 2018. Key West, Florida, USA
A new macrophage-fibroblast handshake in fibrosis. 16th Annual Advances in Inflammation Research Symposium, September 20–21, 2018. Providence, RI, USA
The “M” problem in fibrosis: myofibroblasts, macrophages, matrix and mechanics. 2nd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis, June 13-18, 2018. Chania, Crete, Greece
Regulation of TGF-β signalling and fibrogenesis by adhesion and matrix. Gordon Research Conference on Signalling by Cell Adhesion Receptors, June 24-29, 2018, Biddeford, MA, USA
When macrophages meet myofibroblasts. San Francisco Fibrosis Conference: The role of the fibrotic stroma - barrier or support?, June 7-8, 2018, San Francisco, CA, USA
Myofibroblast Functions. Symposium on Fibroblast Progenitors in Health and Disease, May 25-27, 2018, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Fibroblast-macrophage cross talk in fibrosis. 8th Joint Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS) and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), April 25-29, 2018, Charlotte, NC, USA
When inflammatory and reparative cells meet: The fibrosis problem.Division of Rheumatology Fibrosis Workshop, March 2, 2018, Toronto, ON, Canada
Myofibroblasts, macrophages and matrix. 6th Annual Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Student Union (LMPSU) Conference on Fibrosis, January 13, 2018, Toronto, Canada.
2017
Myofibroblasts, matrix, and macrophages. Get Connected 6: Matrix in fibrosis: October 9-10, 2017, Manchester, UK
Kulturtraining für Fibroblasten – Unvergesslicher Stress (Culture practice for fibroblasts: unforgettable stress). 13th Tegernsee-Konferenz, October 05-08, 2017, Bad Wiessee, Germany
Myofibroblast Memories. 15th International Workshop on Scleroderma Research, August 5-9, 2017, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Stressed out myofibroblasts. Conference on Fibrosis in Cardiac Disease and Cancer, June 22-23, 2017, Toronto, Canada
Why studying myofibroblasts is a career endeavor. 4th Annual D.Y.E. Perey Symposium, June 15, 2017, Hamilton, Canada
Does an academic career need to be stressful? (Panel discussion) Gordon Research Conference and Seminar on Tissue Repair and Regeneration, June 3-9, 2017, New London, NH, USA
Myofibroblasts just love the stress. Connective Tissues in Sports Medicine (CONNECT), March 16-18, 2017, Ulm, Germany
The fibrotic matrix: a stressful but memorable environment. Annual Meeting of the German Society for Matrix Biology, March 9-11, 2017, Cologne, Germany
2016
Protect your skin – keep myofibroblasts out. Conference of the Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society (AWTRS), November 6-8, 2016, Melbourne, Australia
Myofibroblast mechanics. Workshop on Modeling and Quantifying Cell Function: 25 years of Cell Mechanobiology, October 9-14, 2016, Banff, Canada
Myofibroblasts tip the balance between chronic, normal, and excessive wound healing (ETRS Session), 5th World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) Congress, September 25-29, 2016, Florence, Italy
Chronic macrophage – fibrobast interactions in the lung, 5th World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) Congress, September 25-29, 2016, Florence, Italy
Myofibroblast Mechanical Memory. First International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis, September 21-26, 2016 Rhodes, Greece
Don´t stress - the mechanobiology of tissue repair. Gordon Research Conference on Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering, August 7-12, 2016, Andover, NH
Matrix mechanics and regulation of the myofibroblast phenotype. Symposium on “Biological repair mechanisms: the brain-skin connection”, June 9, 2016, Paris, France
Targeting myofibroblasts to treat fibrosis. Annual meeting of the Wound Healing Society (WHS), April 13-16, 2016, Atlanta, GA, USA
Myofibroblast. 1st joint summit of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and the Osteoarthritis Research Society (OARSI) on "Wound Healing as a Concept for Cartilage Repair: Is it time to change the paradigm?", April 10-11, 2016, Kyoto, Japan
Myofibroblasts and tissue stress. Symposium on Mechanobiology: mechanisms of force sensation and transduction that control cell behavior in health & disease, March 22-24, 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Direct adhesion of macrophages promotes myofibroblast differentiation by establishing a niche of active TGF-
β1, Keystone Symposium on Fibrosis: From Basic Mechanisms to Targeted Therapies. February 7-11, 2016, Keystone, Colorado, USA
2015
The myofibroblast matrix. 2nd Meeting of Matrix Biology Ireland (MBI), December 2-4, 2015, Dublin, Ireland
The significance of tissue strain in fibrosis. Harvard Conference on Fascia, November 14, 2015, Boston, MA, USA
Watch your back: the myofibroblast is coming. Fascia Research Conference (FRC), September 18-20, 2015, Washington, DC, USA
Resetting mir-21 improves the tissue repair potential of MSCs by erasing fibrotic mechanical memory acquired in cell culture’.25th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), October 20-22, 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark
New landmarks in basic wound healing.25th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), October 20-22, 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark
Gestresste Fibroblasten in der Haut (Stressed fibroblasts in the skin). 11th Tegernsee-Konferenz, October 09-11, 2015, Bad Wiessee, Germany
Myofibroblasts. The 1st London-Toronto Lung Research Symposium, September 25-26, 2015, London Ontario, Canada
The stiffness of skin. 14th International Workshop on Scleroderma Research, August 1-5, 2015, Cambridge, United Kingdom
The fibrogenic fate of mesenchymal stem cells: A matter of stress. Gordon Research Conference of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, June, 7-12, 2015, New London, New Hampshire, USA.
The stiffness and strain of skin. 2nd Annual Skin Research Group Symposium, May 31, 2015, Québec City, Québec
Mesenchymal stem cells in the scar environment.European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Conference, May 13-15, 2015, London, United Kingdom
The myofibroblast at the center of disease diagnosis and therapeutics.Annual Center for Disease Diagnosis and Therapeutics (CDT) Research Symposium, April 25, 2015, Atlanta, George, USA
New Ideas on Cardiac Fibroblast Activation and New Therapeutic Approaches. Experimental Biology, March 28-April 1, 2015, Boston, MA, USA
2014
Skin mechanics matter for fibroblasts. 24th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 11-13, 2014, Edinburgh, UK
Pre-stress in the ECM enhances activation of latent TGF-β1 by myofibroblast contraction. 1st Matrix Biology Europe (MBE) conference (XXIVth FECTS meeting), June 21-24, 2014, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Matrix mechanics and regulation of the fibroblast phenotype. The joint meeting of the Société Française de Biologie de la Matrice Extracellulaire (SFBME) and the "Société Française de Biologie des Tissus Minéralisés" (SFBTM), May 14-16, 2014, Limoges, France
The stressed out myofibroblast: thriving under tension.Experimental Biology, April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, CA, USA
Everything you always wanted to know about the myofibroblast (but were afraid to ask), Keystone Symposium on Fibrosis: From Bench to Bedside. March 23-28, 2014, Keystone, Colorado, USA
2013
Organized is more efficient: Pre-strain in the extracellular matrix amplifies activation of latent TGF-beta1.Workshop on ‘Regulation of TGF Beta Activity and Cardiovascular Disease’, September 30-October 5, 2013, Lest Trailles, France
The role of alpha smooth muscle actin in driving mesenchymal stem cells into a fibrotic fate.The 28th Annual Conference of the European Cytoskeletal Forum (ECF), September 1-5, 2013, Fribourg, Switzerland
When elasticity is lost – the role of myofibroblasts in fibrosis. Gordon Research Conference (GRC) “Elastin, Elastic Fibers & Microfibrils”, July 21-26, 2013, University of New England, Maine, USA.
Fibroblasts and the art of re-modelling. Gordon Research Conference (GRC) of Collagens, July, 14-19, 2013, New London, New Hampshire, USA
About the stress of working with myofibroblasts , 19th Canadian Connective Tissue Conference (CCTC), May 29-June 1, 2013, Toronto, Canada
Myofibroblasts: more than smooth muscle in disguise. First International Symposium on Vascular Tissue Engineering, May 28-29, 2013, Leiden, The Netherlands
Molecular and mechanical mechanisms controlling myofibroblast formation and fibrotic activity.American Thoracic Society International Conference, May 17-22, 2013, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Mechanisms in Fibrosis: Keeping an Eye on the Myofibroblast.Ocular Fibrosis: Myofibroblast to Therapeutics, Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 5-9, 2013, Seattle, USA
Cast a Cold Eye on the Myofibroblast. Fibrosis in Glaucoma Symposium, Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 5-9, 2013, Seattle, USA
Annual Meeting of The Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), April 30-May 4, 2013, Denver, CO, USA.
Connective tissue repair: a matter of stress. Connective Tissues in Sports Medicine Conference, April 12-14, 2013, Ulm, Germany
Hidden treasures in the myofibroblast matrix.1st Cardiovascular Research Theme Day in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, March 25, 2013, Toronto, Canada
Mechanical growth factor activation from the extracellular matrix provides spatial and cell-specific control. 3rd Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Conference, January 2-5, 2013, Hawaii, USA
2012
Biomechanical Sensing and Signaling. ACR Basic Research Conference: “Mesenchymal Cells in Rheumatic Diseases: Tissue Erosion/Invasion vs. Fibrosis”, November 9-10, 2012, Washington, DC, USA
Myofibroblasts. Meeting on “Interdisciplinary approaches to idiopathic lung fibrosis”, Banbury Center of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, October 28-31, 2012, Long Island, NY, USA
The fibrotic potentials and risk of mesenchymal progenitor cells. 4th Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, September 2-6, 2012, Yokohama, Japan
The mechanics of fibrosis: activation of TGF-beta1 by force. 4th Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, September 2-6, 2012, Yokohama, Japan
Myofibroblast mechanobiology. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Investigative Pathology (ASIP) - Physiology Session, April 21-27, 2012, San Diego, CA, USA
The myofibroblast in heart fibrosis. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Physiology (ASP) - Cardiovascular Session, April 21-27, 2012, San Diego, CA, USA
The myofibroblast matrix. Annual Meeting of The Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), April 19-22, 2012, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Mechanical and chemical signals from the myofibroblast matrix. The Transatlantic Airway Conference 2012, January 19-20, 2012, Lucerne, Switzerland
2011
Implications of the myofibroblast for systemic sclerosis. Annual Scientific Meeting of the College of Rheumatology (ACR), November 6-9, 2011, Chicago, USA
Myofibroblast mechanics in fibrosis. 1st annual Fibrosis Symposium, 14 October, 2011, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Myofibroblasts and the mechanics of tissue repair. 9th Symposium on “Advances in Inflammation Research”, 29-30, September, 2011, Providence, RI, USA
Mechanical stress liberates pro-fibrotic TGFβ1 from extracellular matrix repositories: a single molecule study. Gordon Research Conference of Collagens, July, 17-21, 2011, New London, New Hampshire, USA.
Why pulling on a growth factor is relevant for fibrosis. SFB 829 – Symposium “Cellular mechanisms in tissue repair and fibrosis”, January 27, 2011, Cologne, Germany
News from the myofibroblast. 3rd International Workshop on Wound Technology, 16-17 January, 2011, Paris, France
2010
How the matrix controls the myofibroblast to control the matrix. Workshop on Matrix Biology and Tissue Engineering of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society – North America (TERMIS-NA) and the American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB), October 24, 2010, Charleston, California, USA.
The myofibroblast matrix: Implications in tissue repair and fibrosis. Workshop on ECM as a Structural Mediator of Morphological and Homeostatic Information. October 4-9, 2010, Nice, France
The mechanisms of myofibroblast contraction. 6th International Congress of Pathophysiology. September, 22-25, 2010, Montreal, Canada.
Le Myofibroblaste. 20th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 15-18, 2010, Gent, Belgium
Fibrotic cues in the myofibroblast matrix. 20th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 15-18, 2010, Gent, Belgium
Fundamental aspects of myofibroblast contraction. International Symposium on Dupuytren's Disease. May 22-23, 2010, Miami, Florida, USA.
Myofibroblast contraction: Going for the roots. 20th Annual Meeting of the Wound Healing Society (WHS), SAWC/WHS meeting, April 17-20, 2010, Orlando, FL, USA
Myofibroblasts: The culprits behind tissue contracture. 23rd Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), SAWC/WHS meeting, April 17-20, 2010, Orlando, Florida, USA.
Fundamental aspects of myofibroblast contraction. 2nd International Workshop on Wound Technology, 17-19 January, 2010, Paris, France
2009
Myofibroblasts contract in a lock-step mechanism. 5th Joint Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS) and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), August 25-29, 2009, Limoges, France
Stiffness Matters. Gordon Research Conference of Collagens, July, 19-24, 2009, New London, New Hampshire, USA.
Myofibroblasts and mechanical signal transduction. Gordon Research Conference of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, June, 14-19, 2009, New London, New Hampshire, USA.
Mechanoregulation of the myofibroblast: implications for lung repair and fibrosisInternational Meeting of the American Thoracic Society, May, 19, 2009, San Diego, CA, USA.
Molecular regulation of myofibroblast formation, Joint Keystone Symposium on Allergy and Asthma/Fibrosis, January 20-25, 2009, Keystone, Colorado, USA.
2008
Molecular regulation of myofibroblast formation, 16th Scientific Meeting of the Fondation Rene Touraine pour la Recherche en Dermatologie, November, 14th, 2008, Paris, France
When fibroblasts turn wrong: the bad influence of their environment, 2nd Scar Meeting, September 25-26, 2008, Montpellier, France
The myofibroblast - friend or foe in regenerative medicine? 18th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 10-12, 2008, St. Georges Bay, Malta
Proto- and differentiated myofibroblasts – cell types or semantics?, 10th International Workshop on Scleroderma Research, August, 2-6, 2008, Cambridge, U.K.
Watch the tumor neighborhood: the biomechanical impact of myofibroblasts in the stroma, European Network on Cancer Modeling Conference, May 19-21, 2008, Torino, Italy
Scanning Probe Microscopy of Cytoskeletal Proteins in Living Cells, Annual Meeting of the Competence Centre for Materials Science and Technology, April 9, 2008, Bern, Switzerland
Myofibroblasts and the matrix - an intimate relationship. Annual meeting of the German Connective Tissue Society (GCTS) April 3-5, 2008, Freiburg, Germany
Function of the myofibroblast during tissue repair. 6th European Respiratory Society (ERS) Lung Science Conference, March 14-16, 2008, Estoril, Portugal
Myofibroblasts and the mechanics of tissue repair: facing the enemy and making it companion, Annual Conference of the Union of Swiss Societies of Experimental Biology (USGEB), February 6-7, 2008, Lausanne, Switzerland
The myofibroblast - friend and foe in tissue regeneration, ‘CHUV Research Day ‘Regenerative Medicine’, January 17th, 2008, Lausanne, Switzerland
2007
The contractile function of myofibroblastsFirst Interdisciplinary Fascia Research Conference, October 4-5, 2007, Boston, USA.
How strong is the myofibroblast? 17th Annual Meeting of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS), September 26-29, 2007, Southampton, U.K.
Myofibroblast integrins mechanically activate TGFβ1 from ECM deposits: An extracellular mechanical switch? Focus Meeting on ‘Mechanisms of cell adhesion and tissue invasion’, September 8-13, 2007, Ortona,Italy
Myofibroblast contraction activates TGFβ1 from the ECM and establishes a stress-controlled autocrine loop. Gordon Research Conference on Tissue Repair and Regeneration, June 17-22, New London, 2007, USA.
From wound healing to vascular healing. 15thInternational Local Drug Delivery Meeting and Cardiovascular Course on Revascularization and Molecular Strategies (LDDR), February 1-3, 2007, Geneva Switzerland
2006
Biology of the myofibroblast. Symposium on “Molecular mechanisms of tissue fibrosis, October 26, 2006, Turku, Finland
How fibrogenic cells feel and respond to the mechanical property of the matrix. Cell and Molecular Engineering track of the 2006 BMES meeting, October 11-14, 2006, Chicago, USA.
Relaxed life on small islands - the tensional micro-requirements of fibrogenic cells. 3rd conference ‘From Solid State to BioPhysics’, June 24 - July 1, 2006, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation – cues from the microenvironment. Annual Meeting of theDutch Society for Matrix Biology, May 11-12, 2006, Lunteren, The Netherlands
The cytoskeleton of the myofibroblast. School of Hepatology course “Stellate cells and fibrosis” of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), January, 27-28, 2006, Spineto, Italy
2005
Myofibroblasts – mechano-regulators in connective tissue remodeling. 2nd Swiss-Japan Symposium ‘New Trends in Biomechanics: from Biomolecules to Tissue’, September 12-16, 2005, Kyoto, Japan
Myofibroblasts are mechano-responsive cells: The role of focal adhesions. International Workshop on Mathematical Biology of the Cell: Cytoskeleton and Motility, July 16-21, 2005, Banff, Canada
The localization of α‑smooth muscle actin is controlled by mechanical stress. Mini-symposium on the regulation and deregulation of the actin cytoskeleton, June 17, 2005, Gent, Belgium
Matrix stress controls myofibroblast differentiation by dictating focal adhesion size. Adhesion Meeting – podosomes, invadopodia, focal adhesions, April 28-30, 2005, Munich, Germany
The function of myofibroblasts during wound contracture in wound healing . Advanced ICAS (Advanced Studies in Health Sciences and Services) Training Course17th on Wound Healing and its Disturbances, February 14-18, 2005, Ulm, Germany
The micro-requirements for connective tissue remodeling: adhesion size controls myofibroblast differentiation .17thAnnual Conference of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Division of Bioengineering, January 22-23, 2005, Nagoya, Japan
2004
Masters and servants of the force: Focal adhesion size controls recruitment of α‑smooth muscle actin to stress fibers. ETRS Focus Meeting ‘Tissue Repair, Contraction and the Myofibroblast’, November 18-20, 2004, Nyon, Switzerland.
The role of myofibroblasts in connective tissue remodeling: masters and servants of the force. Mini-Symposium on Wound Healing, Sept. 16th, 2004, Lausanne, Switzerland
The role of cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts in connective tissue remodeling. 8th International Scleroderma Research Workshop, Jul. 31-Aug.1, 2004, Cambridge, U.K.
Myofibroblast development is characterized by specific cell-cell adherens junctions. 2nd World Union of Wound Healing Societies Meeting, July 8-13, 2004, Paris, France