Constanca Figueiredo is Full Professor of Allogeneic Cell Therapy at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Transplant Engineering at Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hanover, Germany since 2020. She studied Biology at the University of Coimbra in Portugal and completed her post-graduated training in Transplant Immunology at the Histocompatibility Center of Coimbra and the University of Minho in Portugal. In 2003, she initiated her research work in allograft engineering at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Transplant Engineering (MHH). After obtaining her doctoral degree in 2006, she continued to develop the research area of Transplant Engineering at the same institute.

Professor Figueiredo is highly interested in cell and gene therapeutic approaches in the field of transfusion and transplantation. She has a long-term expertise in the genetic engineering of allogeneic grafts with complex three dimensional structures and cell compositions. She is very much interested in transplant immunology and in particular in the assessment of graft immunogenicity and immunomonitoring in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, Professor Figueiredo is interested in allogeneic cell therapies for regenerative purposes, including innovative Blood Pharming strategies and Bioreactor technologies.

Professor Figueiredo is lecturer at the PhD Programs Regenerative Sciences and Molecular Medicine as well as the Bachelor course in Biology at the Leibniz University Hannover and the International Master in Donation and Transplantation of Organs, Tissues and Cells of the TPM-DTI Foundation in collaboration with the University of Barcelona, Spain.

 

Education and Professional Activities

• 1997 - 2002
  Diploma in Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
   
• 2002 - 2006
  Doctorate in Cell Biology and Immunology - PhD Program in Biology and Experimental Medicine. University of Coimbra, Portugal and Hannover Medical School, Germany
   
• 2006 - 2008
  Post-Doctoral training, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Germany
   
• Since 2008
  Research Group Leader – Allogeneic Cell Therapy at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Transplant Engineering, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
   
• 2014
  Habilitation in Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Member of the Faculty, Hannover Medical School, Germany
   
• Since 2020
  W2-Professor of Allogeneic Cell Therapy, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Transplant Engineering, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
   

 

Additional Activities

• Since 2018
  Review Editor of Frontiers in Immunology
   
• Since 2020
  Associate Editor of Frontiers in Genetics
   
• Since 2020
  Associate Editor of Transplantology
   
• Since 2021
  Steering Group Member of the SFB-TRR-127 - Biology of xenogeneic cell and organ transplantation - from bench to bedside
   

Her research aims to genetic engineer allogeneic cell-, tissue- and organ-transplants to prevent immune rejection and support graft survival after allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation. She has developed forefront strategies enabling the genetic modification of solid vascularized organs and vascular composite allografts. In addition, she is highly interested in the large-scale production of genetically engineered cells, including Megakaryocytes and Red Blood Cells. Professor Figueiredo has a long-term expertise in transplant immunology and immunomonitoring of native and genetically engineered grafts in small and large pre-clinical animal models.

 

Research Fields

• Transplant Engineering
• Transplant Immunology
• Genetic Engineering
• Cell Pharming

 

PubMed Constanca Figueiredo Publication list (PubMed-Link)
 

 

Professor Constanca Figueiredo, PhD

Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Transplant Engineering
Hannover Medical School
Feodor-Lynen-Str. 5
30625 Hanover, Germany

 +49 511 532 9711
 +49 511 532 2079
figueiredo.constanca@mh-hannover.de