Love in the Lab

Fernandes (left) and Barradas have taken ‘High Tech Human Touch’ to the limit. The two tissue engineering scientists met at the UT and will tie the knot next year. Photo: Gijs van Ouwerkerk

All scientists hope that their research will lead to a surprising new discovery. But how about a spouse? Here’s how two Portuguese scientists met at the UT, fell in love and plan to marry.

Five years ago, Hugo Agostinho Machado Fernandes, post-doctoral researcher in Vascular Cell Biology, didn’t think twice about the new master’s student in the Tissue Regeneration Department of the MIRA Institute. Meanwhile, Ana Margarida Cravo Barradas only seemed to notice his grey hair. Barradas, 27, soon joined the department as a PhD candidate and two years passed before they realized how much free time they were spending together.

‘I realized something was happening when I was looking for Ana to do almost everything,’ said Fernandes. They plan to marry next year on Queen’s Day in Rome. The international flavor of the wedding reflects their worldly outlook. ‘I think it’s a Portuguese trait from the 15^th century,’ smiled Fernandes.

Meanwhile, in the lab, he is busy trying to understand how to create new blood vessels to aid the success rate of bone replacements. ‘When we replace bone,’ explained Fernandes, ‘we use scaffolds and, eventually, we use cells. Blood vessels deliver the nutrients to our cells. So the larger the scaffold, the more cells you have and the more nutrients those cells need.’

Meanwhile, Barradas is writing her thesis for June 2012 on how the polymer or ceramic scaffolds can best work with the patient’s cells. ‘I am trying to understand which physic-chemical properties of the scaffolding material will benefit osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. For example, if the surface of the material contains the right chemical groups, it might positively influence cell differentiation or proliferation.’

‘Many people think that a bone is a piece of rock for mechanical support,’ continued the 33-year-old Fernandes. ‘But bone is a complex living tissue. I would like to understand how bone regenerates and when it does not, how can we “trick” the system and make it regenerate.’

Between experiments, Catherine Ann Lombard asked the fiancées:

How do you balance your work life with your time together?

AB: We do talk a lot about work and help each other’s creative processes. But sometimes our house feels like an extension of the lab. To balance things, we try to keep the weekends free to be together, doing sports, shopping, and the usual things.

Will you ever develop a research project together?
HF: Why not? Sounds like a great idea…

AB: I think that we make a good team both as a couple and professionally. Hugo loves to be on top of scientific discoveries and I like to work in the lab and find the answers. Hugo can come up with many research lines. I tend to focus on a few questions but dig deeper into them.

What do you miss about Portugal?
AB and HF: Being closer to those who are there, the sun and the café lifestyle. Pausing anytime, for a salty or sweet snack, a nice coffee, chat and journal.

What do you like best about the Netherlands?
AB: Organization. In Portugal it’s about waiting and queuing.

HF: The astonishingly beautiful sunsets. Before coming here, I always thought the Dutch painting masters had exaggerated the colors of the sky. I also love the lack of hierarchy which makes knowledge flow faster and more efficiently.

Ana, how do you feel about marriage and a PhD in the same year?
Feels great! Feels big! It feels like the end of a journey that will open the way for new and exciting roads! We’ll see what the wind brings.

Will your kids be tissue engineers?
HF: We just want them to be happy and do what they like.

AB: Whatever they do, they should think twice before doing a PhD! (sigh) But I guess this is the agony of my final months.

Catherine Ann Lombard